In watching Love is Blind I have a set of expectations. I expect the contestants to fall in love sight unseen. I also expect them to cause a little bit of drama and stir the pot along the way. But one of the most unexpected but highly anticipated things for me when I started watching Love is Blind season 8 was the music.
Over eight seasons of the English version of Love is Blind they have had the cheesiest music possible. At first I couldn’t understand how they did it. There would be a scene about cheating or drama and the song that played over the scene was so specific that I just thought they had a rolodex of music on the ready. I was wrong.
Love is Blind apparently would bring in independent artists and get them to make music for the scenes needed. They would give them the description, a couple clues here and there, and let them go forward. What we ended up with was really cheesy songs that became a staple of the show.
Things changed in Love is Blind season 8 in big ways when it came to the music. Instead of these really cheesy, yet charming, songs that fit the scenes seamlessly, we’re getting mainstream music. So far we’ve heard Billie Eilish, REO Speedwagon, Ariana Grande, and they even played “All My Life” by K-Ci and JoJo. And the switch up is so jarring that I’m taken out of every single scene that is happening on screen.
In the grand scheme of things, switching from independent artists to mainstream music on a show like Love is Blind, is a little bother for the viewer. It’s not that serious. Also, they’re still using smaller artists if TuneFind is any indication. But it also speaks to how this show has changed. It has become a worldwide sensation. And the people at Netflix seem to think that this worldwide reach means they should use music on a worldwide scale. And they’re wrong.
Using independent artists on Love is Blind gave the show some charm. It was something that felt really unique to them. If we’re being honest, it was probably the only original thing that this show had left going for it. Because by season 8, it feels like everyone is there for their moment on the small screen. It’s no longer about solely finding love. It’s about ‘how I can take on these scripted moments and start off my career as an influencer?’
And again, this is a small complaint in the midst of everything that is Love is Blind. I just wish that they would have gone in a different direction. Instead of using mainstream artists like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, they should have kept with the cheesy, and maybe leaned into it more. Maybe they could have even started a brand of Love is Blind artists to get people invested in the show in a new and creative way. But here we are. Listening to the same couple of artists that Spotify likes to push with some classics sprinkled on top.
Love is Blind season 8 episodes 1-9 are now on Netflix. Episodes 10-11 are set to be released on February 28th.
