Which three Taylor Swift songs form the Folklore love-triangle story that includes “august”?

The story behind the answer

Taylor Swift’s Folklore love-triangle story consists of “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.”

Each song presents a different viewpoint. “cardigan” is associated with Betty, “august” follows the unnamed girl involved in a summer romance, and “betty” is told from James’s perspective. The three tracks therefore describe overlapping events rather than unrelated romances.

The songs are connected by recurring names and details, including James and Betty. Their arrangement on the album helped listeners identify a shared fictional storyline, even though the songs do not function as a literal chronological chapter sequence.

Another frequent mistake is grouping “exile” or “illicit affairs” into the trilogy because those tracks also explore complicated relationships. They are separate Folklore songs and are not part of the James-Betty narrative. The specific three-song story is one of the album’s best-known structural features.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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