“Cardigan” represents Betty’s perspective in the Folklore love triangle linked to Taylor Swift’s “august.”
The three connected songs are “Cardigan,” “august,” and “Betty.” “Cardigan” tells the story from Betty’s viewpoint, “Betty” presents James’s viewpoint, and “august” follows the unnamed female character involved in the summer romance.
This structure is one reason the song became more than a standalone seasonal track. Listeners could revisit the same fictional relationship from different angles, comparing what each character remembers and understands.
The annual August trend usually centers on the song “august” itself, but the wider narrative includes all three tracks. “Cardigan” was released as Folklore’s lead single, which can cause people to mistake it for the song most directly associated with the August tradition.