Every ‘Love Island USA’ Term You Need to Know: Casa Amor, Movie Night & More
What To Know
- Love Island USA returns for Season 8 on June 2.
- Ariana Madix returns as the host.
- Swooon explains Love Island USA terms such as “bombshell,” “recoupling,” “dumping,” “Casa Amor,” and “Movie Night.”
After watching Love Island USA summer after summer, we can confidently say that we’ve become fluent in the language of the villa. But to the casual viewer, there are quite a few terms unique to the reality dating series that might be a little confusing. Since Love Island USA has been steadily growing in popularity and drawing in new viewers, we thought we’d create the ultimate resource for franchise lingo and twists, explaining everything from recouplings to Casa Amor.
Love Island USA Season 8 is bound to introduce some new elements, but there are some that we know for sure will come up. It’s a tried and true formula, after all! Once you read Swooon’s guide, you too will be a bona fide villa expert. Plus, if it’s your first time tuning in, you can get an idea of what to expect. Keep scrolling for all the most important terms you need to know.
What is a bombshell?
Typically, Love Island USA places about a dozen Islanders in the villa, split evenly between boys and girls. But over time, new singles are added into the mix to spice things up or replace voted-out Islanders. They’re called bombshells because that’s exactly their purpose: to come between preexisting couples and disrupt the villa. They have to make a splash, too, to stand out to viewers who are (understandably) biased toward the OGs. They can show up as early as Episode 1. They usually start slowing down around the time of Casa Amor — more on what that is below. But really, it varies by season, depending on how strong the connections between pre-existing Islanders are.
What is a challenge?
Love Island USA wouldn’t be Love Island USA without its challenges. While the Islanders get to know each other, they also bond through various challenges, which start as early as Episode 1. Most are designed to bring the Islanders closer together and test out their chemistry. Some are steamy, like the Heart Rate challenge, which usually makes things messy between the participants. They’re instructed to get their fellow Islanders’ heart rates up by any means necessary, like a lap dance or a makeout session.
Others are more game-like, involving obstacle courses. During Season 7, there was even. a Megan Thee Stallion-hosted twerk-off. There are some challenges that appear every year, but usually, there are a few new ones sprinkled in. Usually, the winners get a prize of some sort — they may get to go on a date outside the villa or remain safe from a dumping.
Ben Symons/Peacock
What is a recoupling?
A recoupling, not to be confused with a dumping, typically happens about once a week in the villa. Host Ariana Madix will arrive and instruct either the boys or the girls to pick who they want to be in an official couple with. They can stick with the person they’re already with or choose someone new. It’s considered good villa etiquette to keep your partner informed if you’re feeling another Islander, so that they too can put feelers out and find another option. Of course, that’s not always how it goes down. Some Islanders have been blindsided by their partners picking someone else.
There’s really no rhyme or reason to the order in which the Islanders recouple, either. One by one, the Islanders make a speech about why they picked who they picked. In the end, there may be two Islanders that end up in a friendship couple or a single Islander that’s left vulnerable to elimination. Those unlucky ones have to get to work on finding a new connection after the recoupling.
What is a dumping?
A dumping is simply an elimination. They usually happen every few days, and could result in one or multiple Islanders leaving the villa. When a dumping is about to happen, the host will instruct the Islanders to gather around the fire pit. The bottom three boys and girls will be at risk, and their standing is usually determined via public vote. (At the end of an episode, viewers may be prompted to vote for their favorite Islanders using the Love Island USA app.) Usually, the Islanders will either determine who should be dumped out of the three. Then, the dumpee is sent packing almost immediately after saying their goodbyes.
Ben Symons/Peacock
What is Soul Ties?
The Islanders don’t have much privacy from their fellow participants, but Soul Ties are one of the few spots where they can (sort of) escape prying eyes (but not ours). It’s a daybed-slash-conversation pit where many a makeout sessions have happened. As the Season 5 Islanders famously put it, “Soul Ties is crazy.”
What is the Hideaway?
Speaking of “privacy,” production will send a few lucky couples to the Hideaway, usually later on in the Love Island process, as a reward. The Islanders have to share a bed with their partner in one massive room throughout the season, so they can’t get away with much without being detected. (Though, that doesn’t stop quite a few Islanders from discreetly getting frisky under the covers.) The Hideaway is a room away from the main villa, complete with a nice bed and a hot tub.
What is Casa Amor?
Casa Amor is the trademark Love Island USA twist that’s been happening since Season 2. It usually happens a couple of weeks in to test how strong the Islanders’ relationships are. Production splits up existing couples, moving one half of the Islanders (boys or girls) to a second villa called Casa Amor, where a handful of new singles await them. Meanwhile, those in the original villa get new singles, too. Everyone spends a couple of episodes getting to know each other, and then everyone is reunited in the original villa for a recoupling ceremony. The Islanders will either stay loyal to their OG partner or couple up with a newbie.
Kim Nunneley/Peacock
During Season 7, there was a twist on top of the twist. All of the original couples were forced to break up during Casa Amor. The boys had to officially couple up with a Casa girl, and the girls had to do the same with the Casa boys. Unlike past seasons, every Casa bombshell went back into the original villa when the Casa segment ended, regardless of if they made a strong connection with an OG Islander or not. So, it’s certainly possible Season 8 will follow suit or change things up in a different way.
What is Movie Night?
Season 7 didn’t include Movie Night, despite it producing some of the franchise’s most memorable, drama-filled moments. Movie Night, which started on Love Island UK and was brought to Love Island USA in Season 5, involves the Islanders watching footage from the season overall. As a group, they find out what their fellow participants have said and done behind their backs. Some couples (and friendships) don’t come back from their Movie Night revelations. It usually takes place just ahead of the final stretch of episodes.
What is Family Day?
A more wholesome segment of Love Island USA, the Islanders will be visited in the villa by their family members, allowing their partners to meet their loved ones. Plus, their family members also may give them some intel about how the public has been receiving them throughout the season.
Love Island USA, Season 8 Premiere, June 2, Peacock
