With the winter season of The Bachelor long gone (see ya Pilot Pete) and summertime’s The Bachelorette still weeks away, us Bachelor fans have entered our annual holding period. Typically, this time is a nice mental reset before we’re thrown back into rose ceremonies, champagne scandals, and group dates. Though there’s a fair amount of hype surrounding Bachelor alum Claire Crawley’s return to the mansion this summer, it’s no surprise that the producers couldn’t let us go too long without seeing Chris Harrison on our television screens; The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart seems to be the perfect solution to our reality TV withdrawals.
The all-new series follows a similar pattern to past Bachelor seasons: the producers scout a group of attractive millennials, rent a home in California and wait for drama to ensue. The only thing different about this crew, though, is that they break out into song often enough that the show feels a bit like High School Musical. Each contestant has a talent- singing, playing an instrument, songwriting- that serves as their hallmark trait as they go on dates with their 20 competitors. Unlike the typical rose ceremonies that determined the fate of past Bachelor contestants, Listen to Your Heart requires the musicians to couple up if they wish to stay in the mansion for another week.
- Jamie, 21
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Similar to Hannah B’s role on The Bachelorette, Jamie appears to be the token nice girl for this season of Listen to Your Heart. For example, while the rest of the new musicians gossip over champagne, Jamie asks Ryan what his favorite childhood memory is. Though she hops from one conversation to the next throughout night one of the new series, it’s clear that the producers are painting Jamie as a beloved protagonist (at least for now).
- Sheridan, 27
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Though Sheridan worries about not standing out in his pre-mansion interview, his long hair and hat collection guarantee us that he won’t go unnoticed. He’s immediately a popular choice among the musicians, quickly catching Julia’s eye, though she admits he’s not quite the type of guy she usually goes for.
- Rudi, 24
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During the first episode, it seems like Rudi spends more time giving confessional-style commentary than having actual conversations with other contestants. Similar to Demi from Colton’s season of The Bachelor (season 23), Rudi quickly solidifies her role as the witty reporter of the drama in the Bachelor mansion. Despite this, she still finds the time to get in the hot tub with Matt, earning some teases from other contestants and a bit of jealousy from Michael Todd.
With a 12:8 ratio of men to women, Chris Harrison makes it clear that 4 contestants will be sent home by the end of the first week. The competition becomes intense quickly, but it doesn’t stop the group from breaking out into song in-between chats. Chris and Cheyenne are the first to sit down at the piano, while Brandon follows shortly after with a guitar solo to serenade Julia (seriously). After many glasses of champagne and a handful of musical dates, Chris wraps up the first episode with a warning of the drama that is bound to ensue on this season of The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart.