Jesse McCartney Flips Between Two Parallel Possibilities In His Heartfelt ‘Better With You’ Video

In the 1998 romantic drama Sliding Doors, the film’s narrative alternates between two parallel universes depicting the protagonist’s path through life based on a decision that could go one of two ways. A similar effect is at play in singer Jesse McCartney‘s new video, “Better With You,” with a coin toss determining the fate of his love life and whether he gets the girl of his dreams.

“Better With You” is the singer’s first single single 2014 and demonstrates a growth in range and a more mature sound. In the intervening years since his independently-released fourth album, In Technicolor, the singer appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, including Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip and Fear The Walking Dead while prepping his return to music and his fifth studio album.

The video for “Better With You” finds McCartney writing songs outdoors at a cafe, when his muse, portrayed by actress Danielle Campbell strolls by, dropping a number of items from her bag. She retrieves most of them but leaves behind her keys, leaving Jesse with a choice to make: Either he picks up the keys and chases her down, leading to a relationship full of ups and downs, or he leaves it be, and spends the foreseeable future living the life of a lonesome bachelor. A quarter rolls by, mirroring the dual choices before him as the camera split screens between his two possible futures. It’s a slick-looking effect and complements the theme of the song well.

McCartney’s as-yet-untitled album is due later this year.