Madison Beer Gets Emotional in a Heated Exchange with The Summer I Turned Pretty Actor Sean Kaufman in Her New “Bittersweet” Music Video
By Website Content Manager
“Bittersweet” marks Madison Beer’s newest single, which she recently performed live at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show earlier this month.
Madison Beer and The Summer I Turned Pretty actor Sean Kaufman play a couple in the midst of a breakup — but only on screen.
The 26-year-old singer unveiled the music video for her newest single, “Bittersweet,” on Tuesday, October 21. In the cinematic clip, Kaufman, 25, portrays her ex-boyfriend as Beer struggles to move on from their relationship.
Co-directed by Beer and Iris Kim, and written by the Grammy-nominated artist herself, the video begins in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac. Beer walks up to a familiar house, knocks on the door, and is met by Kaufman. After a tense, wordless pause, he hands her a box of belongings and delivers the final blow: “We’re done.”
Kaufman shuts the door, leaving Beer visibly heartbroken as she walks away. “Can’t believe it ends this way / Thought you’d always stay,” she sings at the start of “Bittersweet.” “Now I gotta wonder what I changed / Think I have to go, walkin’ all alone / Hate to see it all go down the drain.”
As the chorus kicks in, the somber mood shifts — Beer suddenly finds herself surrounded by a lively parade celebrating her newfound independence, complete with a marching band and a banner proclaiming, “It’ll be okay!”
Her expression transforms from sorrow to relief as she embraces the empowering message behind the lyrics: “I know I should be bitter, but baby, right now I’m bittersweet.”
The video then follows Beer back home, where she’s quickly met by flashing cameras and intrusive reporters eager for details about her breakup. A news-style chyron flashes across the screen: “Hear how she’s really been doing.”
As the chorus returns, Beer performs joyfully atop a parade float — though the upbeat moment is contrasted by flashbacks of an emotional argument with Kaufman and scenes of her crying alone in bed. The visuals blend memories of their happier times with moments of pain, culminating in a poignant ending where Beer clutches a locket, her eyes still filled with tears.
Beer dropped “Bittersweet” on Friday, October 10, and recently performed it live at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York City, alongside her songs “Make You Mine” and “Yes Baby.”
In a statement, the singer explained, “‘Bittersweet’ is about closing a chapter and the struggle of accepting that it’s over, while still realizing it’s ultimately for the best — and finding peace in that process.”
Kaufman’s appearance in the video follows his role as Steven Conklin in the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which wrapped up last month.