Did Matt James Spoil His Own Bachelor Season On Spotify?
At this point, there are almost too many women on Matt James' season of The Bachelor to keep track of who the true front runners are. Yes, he's had some one-on-one dates in addition to giving out a First Impression Rose and some group date roses. But there are still so many relationships going on, and on top of that, there are even more women set to enter the game soon. Is that an indication that Matt just isn't feeling it with any of the women from the initial group who arrived on the first night? At this point, it truly is a guessing game — even for those Bachelor fans who are into spoilers, Bachelor spoiler king Reality Steve hasn't declared who the winner is yet.
Well, at least it was just a guessing game until now. It seems like Matt himself inadvertently spoiled the ending to his own season. He didn't go to the extent of sharing a selfie from bed with the winner, like Kaitlyn Bristowe did with Shawn Booth before her season of The Bachelorette concluded. But he didn't realize just how invested Bachelor Nation truly is. No platform is safe from sleuthing. From Instagram to TikTok to Venmo, the fans are investigating all apps constantly — even Spotify.
Matt James listened to this contestant's Spotify playlist
The Instagram account BachSleuthers shared a screenshot from Spotify on Jan. 16, 2021, which showed Matt James was listening to a playlist called "night drive," which was made by Rachael Kirkconnell, who happened to win the group date rose during the Jan. 18, 2021 episode. Sure, Rachael might just have the best taste in music, but why would Matt listen to music from a woman he may have recently dumped? Most likely, Matt spoiled his own season via Spotify.
Not only that, but Reality Steve included Rachael in his list of who made it into Matt's top four, which he shared on Jan. 4, 2021. Beyond that, he wasn't positive about who the final rose recipient was, but he was told that she wins, writing, "Well, if you believe everything coming out of the small town of Cumming, GA, then it's Rachael Kirkconnell. Because for the last month, all I keep being told out of Cumming is that Rachael won, and all her friends and family know and they're telling everyone." However, he heard similar buzz from people in Madison Prewett's hometown after Peter Weber's season finished taping, which wasn't correct. Even so, the Bachelor franchise expert admitted, "All signs are pointing to Rachael."
Based on the Spotify evidence, it's logical to conclude that Matt and Rachael are together. Even if they're not, it's equally as interesting to know that he's listening to an ex's playlist if he's in a relationship with someone else.
What Matt James supposedly thinks about his oopsie
Spoiler alert: Besides revealing that Rachael Kirkconnell supposedly made it into Matt James' final four, Reality Steve also shared the identity of three other women who came out on top. Serena Pitt, Bri Springs, and Michelle Young are on that list, at least according to the blogger's reporting.
In a post published on Jan. 19 — a day after Matt's Spotify slip-up — Reality Steve also revealed some intel on how Matt supposedly feels about the publicity his streaming activity garnered. "One thing I've heard about Matt post-filming and this shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone, but he has no idea about the magnitude of his actions and the craziness of the fans," he wrote. "...The guy just doesn't know any better because he doesn't quite grasp the position he's in."
Reality Steve also wrote that Matt "doesn't really care" about the slip-up because "he really has no idea that every single thing he does is dissected in 100 different ways."
Fan reactions to Matt James' Spotify activity were mixed
When BachSleuthers shared the screenshot of Matt James' playing Rachael Kirkconnell's playlist, fans were unsure what to make of the connection. "I'm disappointed," one user commented underneath the screenshot. Another user said she was "hoping for Michelle." Some users were more realistic with how many bachelors/bachelorettes have broken up with their final choice, which includes the January 2021 breakup of Clare Crawley and Dale Moss. "Relax," one user wrote on BachSleuther's Instagram post. "It won't last I'm sure. Not many do."
Although it remains to be seen whether Rachael is the winner of Matt's season, The Bachelor star has come under criticism about dating based around race on the show. In an interview with the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast on Jan. 12, 2021, Matt said it was "low-key frustrating" that viewers assumed he'd only date certain races on the show. "First off, people should, regardless of what they look like, want you to be happy with whoever you're with," he explained. "And if you knew anything about me, if you were close to me, you would know that the last women that I dated were all Black women."
Matt continued, "What I'm looking for isn't a race...I've dated all across the board, and I've found redeeming qualities in everybody, which is a blessing, and that's why it's so difficult for me throughout this season."