Bachelor: LTYH star Rudi Gutierrez was still together with Matt Ranaudo when she started writing her new single, “Stupid Boy,” in May. But the time she finished the song, their relationship was over.
Rudi and Matt met on season 1 of ABC’s latest Bachelor spinoff, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, in January. The series invited 23 musicians to live at a Bachelor-style mansion as they made music and fell in love. Rudi and Matt make it to the finale but quit after Matt tells her that he wasn’t sure their relationship where it needed to be. After filming finished, the two gave their relationship another try, but when there continued to be red flags, Rudi wondered where their future was headed. Then came the idea for “Stupid Boy,” an R&B track about a relationship that’s run its course.
“I have a friend who’s a writer who knew how I was trying to work it out with this guy who obviously didn’t want to work it out,” Rudi tells StyleCaster. “She was just like, ‘Let’s just write a song about it and forget about him.’ And so we did.”
Rudi wrote the first verse—including the first lyric, “We ain’t talking about this in the morning,” which was inspired by a conversation she had with Matt—before she and Matt had broken up. “I wrote a lot of it before we completely called it quits because I kind of knew where it was headed, but I was holding onto hope,” she says.
Image: Miguel Flores.
The second verse came when she and Matt ended their relationship in June and she could look at what they had with fresh eyes. “The second verse says, ‘Feeling lighter in the morning. The sun is shining a little brighter,’” she says. “I just remember waking up after it ended. Yes, it sucked. But I was also like, ‘It’s done. I feel better.’”
Before their breakup, however, Rudi played Matt part of the song, which he didn’t react well to. “He was like, ‘Oh my God. People are going to hate me.’ I was like, ‘Why? No. You just inspired it. It’s no big deal.’” As for if he’s heard the full song since it was released on July 10, Rudi confesses that she has “no idea.” “He’s probably getting some shit from some fans,” she says.
But Rudi—who recorded “Stupid Boy” in the small, stuffy closet in her home in Los Angeles—admits that the song isn’t just about Matt. “It’s about all the other stupid guys I’ve ever dated in my life,” she says. “They all have commitment issues and are all the same.”
In terms of what’s next, Rudi isn’t in a rush to release an album. She plans on recording more singles, so that, when it’s safe again, she can perform an EP’s worth of songs on tour. Fans may also see her on another Bachelor show. “I wouldn’t be opposed to being on another Bachelor show. It was a lot of fun,” she says. As for if she would be on Matt James’ upcoming season of The Bachelor, Rudi tells StyleCaster with a laugh, “Yeah. I would.”
Ahead, Rudi talked to StyleCaster about how she was the last contestant cast on Bachelor: LTYH, the Chris Harrison moment that didn’t make it on TV and which non-Bachelor reality show she would want to be on.
How were you cast on Bachelor: LTYH?
“I was cast off of Instagram. I got a DM from this casting director who was, ‘Yo, we’re doing a show, and it’s from the creators of The Bachelor but with musicians.’ And I was like, ‘Interesting.’ I didn’t audition until late December, when they had literally cast everyone else. They were looking for one more person and because everyone else on the show had auditioned back in October or September. The casting director was like, ‘Can you come in for an audition?’ So I went in, and they called me that day and were like, ‘We want you for the show. We’re going to send you a contract.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God. What did I just get myself into?’ I had never auditioned for another Bachelor show. I didn’t even know it was going to be like The Bachelor. They made it seem like it was just a bunch of musicians living in a mansion together. Then I got there, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. Chris Harrison is here.’ This is legitimately The Bachelor.”
What’s a TV moment that made you cringe?
“I did so many cringy things, honestly. I think the hardest one for me to watch was when I told Matt I was falling for him. I was just shitting myself the whole time. I was watching it with my family, and I was like, ‘I gotta go. I’m not watching this shit’ and I literally walked to my room. That was awkward. That was definitely the worst one.”
What’s a moment that didn’t make it on TV that you wish did?
“It was the first rose ceremony, and Michael Todd was trying to sing to all the girls. He took me out to sing a song, and I started twerking. Out of nowhere, Chris Harrison walked out. It freaked me out. I was starstruck. There were really nice lights all around, and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And then I broke a light. Everyone was like, ‘What the hell just happened?’”
What’s a moment that people comment the most about on your Instagram?
“The majority of my fanbase is girls, and a lot of my DMs are just them telling me how they’re thankful I was so relatable and how they feel like they can be themselves. That’s been the most amazing thing. That stuck with these people. It helps people realize it’s OK to be a little crazy sometimes.”
Image: Miguel Flores.
What’s something you didn’t realize about reality TV before you were on it?
“I actually filmed a reality TV show when I was 15. I filmed a pilot for MTV a really long time ago. Luckily, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and was prepared for the absolute worst. My last experience was terrible. But this one wasn’t.
Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Jessica Simpson. All these people came from this studio I used to be a part of in Dallas. I was supposed to be the next big thing. We filmed for a month or two and we watched the pilot and they made me look so bratty. It was just terrible! I was like, ‘What the hell? How did they make me look so bad?’ That’s why, when I did this show, I told myself, ‘Just remember. They can make you look. It’s reality TV. They’re going to make it however they want to make it.’ Luckily, I was fully prepared for that and ready. The show didn’t wind up getting picked up. Thank God, because I looked so bitchy. I want to say it was called Star Factor or something Factor.”
What other reality show would you be on?
“Honestly, I had a lot of fun. The fact that I had a good experience, now I’m a little more open to doing reality TV.. If you’re yourself and stick to that, it works out in the long run. I watched this show called The Circle on Netflix. I started talking to one of the guys on there, and he was like, ‘You should totally do it.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe, I’ll sign up.’ I haven’t done it yet. I wouldn’t be opposed to being on another Bachelor show. It was a lot of fun getting to be with a bunch of different people.”
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
