Chris Harrison: The musical angle of ‘The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart’ “really kind of ratcheted up the drama”

ABC/Craig Sjodin(HOLLYWOOD) — The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart: a six-episode spinoff featuring musicians looking for love, pairing off and performing together while being judged by famous singers, premieres on ABC tonight. Host Chris Harrison says the show is a little like Bachelor in Paradise and a little like American Idol…with music adding a new dimension.

“It adds this level of vulnerability and emotion that we usually don’t have on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette,” Harrison tells ABC Audio. “When people have to perform and…bare their soul in front of an audience or in front of judges, it does really leave you naked…it really kind of ratcheted up the drama and the emotion of all this.”

Stars like Jason Mraz, Toni Braxton and Kesha will judge the new couples’ musical performances, and Harrison says they’re looking for two things.

“One, musical talent. Are these people good enough? And then, two: Do you believe the chemistry? What makes a great duet? And will they be able to prove that they’re actually falling in love or [are] already in love?”

But be warned: Watching a Bachelor series during the COVID-19 pandemic is…kinda weird.

“I just watched this unedited version…the other night and it was wild!” Harrison notes. “I shook hands with everybody. We’re all hugging, and there’s making out in the hot tub…you do see everything through a completely different lens.”

The pandemic also hit Bachelor Nation: Colton Underwood was diagnosed with the virus. He’s recovered, but Harrison admits, “It was sobering. It really let me know that this thing could hit anybody. He’s a 28-year-old beast of a man in perfect shape and he couldn’t climb a set of stairs without being out of breath…But he’s made it through to the other side.”