Madison Beer’s new single, “Bittersweet,” feels less like a follow-up and more like a quiet correction when compared to the chart chasing electro pop energy of “yes baby.”
Released on October 10th, the song is a deliberate step back into the moody, atmospheric sound that first defined her, a sound she wears like a well-loved jacket.
The track immediately wraps you in a familiar haze. Gone is the percussive insistence of her recent hits.
“Bittersweet” floats on ethereal vocal layers and a minimalist beat that recalls the bruised beauty of her Life Support era.
There is a specific, visceral resonance in her voice here that she has not tapped since a track like “Homesick.” It’s a raw, unfiltered vulnerability that feels earned, not just performed.
The lyrics meaning is the song’s core strength, and Beer’s own statement that it is about “the end of a chapter” nails the feeling.
This is not a fiery breakup anthem. It is the weary, complicated peace that comes after.
You can feel her taking stock at some ungodly hour. Not in anger, but with the sad clarity of knowing it was necessary.
While fans will inevitably link it to her split from Nick Austin, the song’s power is its universality. It is for anyone who has ever had to let go of something they loved because it was the only sane thing left to do.
Then, just as you are settled into the melancholy, the bridge arrives and the floor drops out.
The production twists into something darker, almost sinister, and Beer’s voice sheds its angelic veneer for a grittier, more confrontational tone that would feel right at home on Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine.
It is a brilliant, unexpected left turn that lasts just a few seconds, long enough to suggest that the peace she has found is still fragile, still wrestling with the ghosts of what came before.
This sonic shift back to introspection is not an accident. Beer confirmed her upcoming third album will follow this more melancholic path. A move that feels less like a retreat and more like a reclamation.
The pop hooks proved she could play the game. This proves she never needed to.
The first real test of this new old sound will be its live debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on October 15th.
Madison Beer’s “Bittersweet” might not be the obvious banger, but its haunting honesty and vocal depth make a compelling case.