Taylor Swift’s song “Cardigan” tells Betty’s side of the story linked to “august.”
Folklore presents a love triangle through three songs: “Cardigan,” “august,” and “Betty.” “Cardigan” follows Betty, “august” follows the unnamed woman involved in the summer romance, and “Betty” follows James as he tries to repair the damage.
The three songs are not arranged as a conventional chronological plot. Instead, they offer different viewpoints and moments in the characters’ lives. That fragmented structure reflects Folklore’s broader interest in imagined histories, memory, and stories heard from multiple perspectives.
“Cardigan” was also the album’s lead single and became Swift’s sixth number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Its connection with “august” is therefore both narrative and commercial, even though the songs focus on different characters.