On July 24, 2020, Taylor Swift released what I may call one of my all-time favorite albums called “Folklore”. Folklore, which is an indie folk/ pop album, not only has beautifully created songs but includes a hidden storyline. This storyline involved three songs: August, Betty, and Cardigan. Each of them follows the characters James, Augustine, and Betty. They take you along the naive love story of three teenagers as they tell the story from each of their perspectives. 

To unravel this love triangle we first need to start with “August”. This song is a group of memories written from the perspective of the character, Augustine. It details a summer romance between her and this guy James. However, in this song, she is reminiscing about her time spent with him, recalling all those summer days.  Because in reality, he had a girlfriend, and she and he were just a fling. As shown through the lyric, “August slipped away like a bottle of wine cause you were never mine.” So when summer ended their romance did as well, because as much as she wanted him he was not hers, “So much for summer love, and saying “us” cause you weren’t mine to lose.” But then towards the end of the song, she recalls how this whole thing started, “Remember when I pulled up and said “get in the car” and then cancel my plans just in case you called.” Which will later come into play from James’s perspective. 

Now moving on to the second song in this love affair, which is “Betty”. Written from James’s perspective, this song follows him after his summer romance with Augustine. It expresses the regret that he feels for cheating on Betty and sorry he feels after she found out, “You heard the rumors from Inez, You can’t believe a word she says most times but this time it was true, The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you.” He’s regretful of his actions and tries to come up with a way to win her back saying it was just “ A summer thing” and blaming it on how he’s “Only seventeen” and misses her. In this song, we also get his perspective on why all of this started. It had been during a school dance where after not wanting to dance with Betty he saw her dancing with another guy and decided to walk home, “Betty I know where it all went wrong your favorite song was playing from the far side of the gym, I was nowhere to be found I hate the crowds you know that plus I saw you dance with him.” When walking home that is where he sees Augustine starting the summer affair, “I was walking home on broken cobblestones just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. She said, “James get in, let’s drive.” Then at the end of the song, James talks about going to Betty’s house wanting to ask for a second chance, “Yea I showed up at your party will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends?.” But it’s left in a cliffhanger never answering whether Betty does take him back or not. 

Finally, to close off this story we have “Cardigan”, written from the perspective of the one and only Betty. But, unlike the rest of the previous songs, this one takes place years after the love affair between James and Augustine. This song is about Betty and her looking back on what might have been once her relationship with James. More specifically his unfaithfulness to her, which years later she still is hurt by. She talks about how James made her feel special saying “And when I felt like I was an old Cardigan under someone’s bed You put me on and said I was your favorite.” Showing how deeply she was affected by James’s unfaithfulness. In the song, she makes a mention of James and his other relationship and how he was bound to lose her, “Chase two girls, lose the one”.  But one of the final throws at James was her saying how she knew that he would come back to her and ask for forgiveness, “I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired, and you’d be standing in my front porch light”. Like he did in the song Betty. Leaving the ending to this song to be more reminiscing than anything, perfect to close off the end of this story.  

But in the ending whether Betty took James back or if James and Augustine did have a chance, after all, is left a mystery. No matter what though the way this story is created and woven into the album is absolutely genius. And listening to the whole story unravel inside your head will never get old. 

Sources used include: 

 Taylor Swift – august (folklore: the long pond studio sessions), https://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/taylor-swift-process-writing-love-triangle-songs-folklore