Love Island USA Season 7 Kicks Off With Wild Kisses And Unexpected Pairings

Well, hello Islanders! After a year of waiting, and what felt like an extra-long delay before the show even started, we finally got to meet a new group of attractive singles on Love Island Usa season seven. The world outside might look different but the Love Island villa remains the same. They did add a new bar area they are calling a "speakeasy" which was a nice touch.

So was the first episode worth the wait? After making everyone sit around for a while and then adding a four-minute intro video with every contestant lip-syncing, the start felt a bit much. But once I got past that, I could see that this year's cast looks promising. All our usual Love Island personalities are here. We also have a single mom an openly queer woman and a man who never takes off his cowboy hat. I heard on the internet that two of the Islanders support Trump. But honestly, what are we expecting? Half of the Real Housewives support him too.

As is Love Island tradition, the women are wearing tiny pieces of neon fabric. The men wear blazers over shirts barely buttoned. It is too early to pick favorites. But I can tell you that everything about Austin, from his frosted tips to his dating strategies, gives me full-body shivers.

The First Night's Kissing Ceremony Brings Drama And Surprises To The Villa

How A New Twist On Coupling Up Led To Some Unexpected Pairs From The Start

The whole idea of Love Island is like a wild party for eighth graders. Every challenge is a version of spin the bottle. So this season’s twist on the coupling ceremony is not as shocking as it probably should be. Host Ariana Madix, who looks fantastic by the way, explained the rules. Each girl picks two boys to kiss. Then she decides which boy to couple up with based on those kisses.

Chelley a 27-year-old day trader from Queens decided to kiss Austin, for some strange reason, and then Ace. Ace is five-foot-ten with great dimples and he will soon prove himself too charming to be trusted. Chelley and Ace had actually met before. It was outside a club in New York City, of course. So everyone thought fate brought them together in Fiji. Chelley coupled up with Ace.

Next to pick was Huda a 24-year-old single mom and someone who I already like a lot. Ariana reminded her that even though Ace was already taken she could still try to steal him. Instead, Huda chose Jeremiah. He grabbed her hand and announced he had already won. Jeremiah seems like a sweet guy or he just knows how this game works. He was so committed to this five-minute relationship that he avoided the next contestant who tried to kiss him, Yulissa. Jeremiah later said he knows he should not put all his eggs in one basket. But he said "She’s my favorite basket."

Then we had Belle-A. The most interesting thing about her besides the unique spelling of her name is that she seems to have no idea what show she is on. Belle-A refused to kiss anyone properly. She just gave pecks on the cheek. I respect her boundaries. But does she not know how much pretend sex she will have if she stays on this show? She ended up with Nic a person clearly designed to annoy me specifically. Moving on, Olandria is from Alabama. She brought all her delightful country sayings with her. She wants a grown country boy who can build her a house. The best the show could offer was Taylor a grown-up horse girl whose personality is "cowboy" and who has a weird thing about "ugly feet."

Yulissa was the last to pick. I get the feeling someone once called her a "real firecracker." She has been trying to live up to that ever since. She was clearly waiting for a chance to cause some trouble. So she aimed her lips straight at Ace and they really went for it. This kiss lasted a while. When it was time to decide, Jeremiah had already made it clear he was not an option. So Yulissa took Ace. This left poor Chelley with Austin. He is a proud "pool boy" who complained that his boss stops him from hitting on his clients. By bedtime, Jeremiah and Huda were already making out under the covers. Belle-A had managed one chaste spoon with Nic. No one else seemed ready to get close.

New Islanders Shake Up The Villa And Old Habits Remain In Place

As Morning Arrives The Islanders Settle In For More Drama And The Blindfolded Kissing Game

Now that the introductions were over it was time for proper Love Island. The morning saw our Islanders start their new routines. Nic became the first boy to make his girl breakfast. Olandria and Taylor talked about fishing. Huda danced around telling Jeremiah she has a daughter. This is the only thing stopping me from calling them this season’s villa mom and dad right now. Huda said she wants to be sure a guy is serious about her before she drops the single-mom news. I get that, I guess. But I think having a kid is something to share at the start of a relationship. Like date two at the latest. I just think this will go wrong.

Meanwhile Chelley and Ace tried very hard to convince themselves and all of us that they did not wish they were coupled up with each other instead of their actual partners, Austin and Yulissa. No one is buying it, guys. Except maybe Austin. He seems truly happy with his luck. Enjoy it while it lasts, buddy, because the most Chelley has said about you is that she does not yet have the "ick."

As night fell on the Islander’s first full day in the villa, Ariana walked into the yard with an announcement. There was another twist. And sadly for Belle-A, it was another kissing game. This time, the Islanders were all blindfolded. They were asked to kiss whoever they wanted without anyone else knowing. The only real surprise here was from Olandria. I thought she was perfectly happy with her toe-obsessed cowboy. But it turns out she also wanted to kiss Ace. For those keeping count, Ace has now kissed every girl in the villa except Belle-A. Belle-A has not kissed anyone.

Speaking of Ace: On his turn, he kissed Chelley, of course. But then, in a wild turn of events, he also kissed Huda. Why are you trying to break up a good thing? What happened to that "invisible string theory" you had with Chelley? Anyway, we have to move on because it is bombshell time. Charlie arrived, he is British. Cierra also arrived. She is described as having "Brains, beauty, and boobs." They just kissed everyone. At least nobody had to feel left out if they did not get a kiss.

At the very end, Ariana told the Islanders to put their blindfolds back on. Then she asked them to raise their hand if they wanted to get to know the new bombshells based on the kisses. I would bet you a lot of money that Ace raised his disloyal hand.

Quick Thoughts And Predictions For The Rest Of Love Island USA Season 7

Some Observations From The Premiere And What We Might Expect Next For Our Islanders

• Oh, the veneers on these young people.
• I think it is a bit rude of Taylor to have such high standards for toes. He himself has a messed-up toe as he explained to Olandria.
• "You still have breast milk on your breath" is what Olandria said to Ace, who is 22. Olandria is truly a queen.
• "You better strut!" was Belle-A's comment. She might want to work on her "Blaccent" soon.
• The girls talked a lot about sisterhood so far. So these girls better not let Ace and his dance moves ruin that.
• Did I hear Belle-A say she has never shared a bed with a man? And this is how she decides to start? That is quite a choice.

The premiere certainly set the stage for a dramatic season. We have new connections, potential love triangles, and plenty of awkward moments. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics change with the new arrivals. The Islanders seem ready for anything, and I am certainly ready to watch it all unfold. This season promises more of the messy, fun, and sometimes cringeworthy moments we love from Love Island.