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‘Love Island’ USA Season 8 Episode 9: Public voting puts fate of two islanders in Corbin’s hands

New couples emerge after America votes on the fate of new bombshells in the villa.

'Love Island USA' has been firing on all counts. From drama to romances, everything has been top-notch. The addition of a fan-vote twist is sure to elevate the tensions, and it does just that in Episode 9. The highly anticipated voting results were finally announced after being delayed from the previous episode. The unprecedented traffic led to the delay, as it crashed the official app. According to Deadline, the number of unique users participating in the voting was nearly 350% over the number of unique users in season 7's fan voting. The fans voted for who the three new bombshells would be paired with in the recoupling ceremony. 

Caleb was the first one up, and it was revealed that he had been paired up with Kenzie. The results were not shocking, as Caleb and Kenzie had gathered quite a support base since the former's entry and the sizzling smooch they shared. Kenzie was previously paired with Corbin, and the result automatically put the fitness influencer in danger. The results made this love triangle even more complicated, as Kenzie was already feeling conflicted between the two, and also hurt by Corbin and Melanie's growing closeness.

The next to stand up was Jen, who was revealed to be paired with Gabriel. The update was not surprising for Beatriz, as Gabriel had previously confessed to her that he had kissed both the bombshells. Initially shocked, Beatriz later picked herself up and decided not to let a man be the focus of her experience. "If all it takes is two shiny new toys to come in and turn your head and forget about the connection that we have, so be it. I compete for medals, not men," she shared with Kayda and Trinity. 

The last reveal was of Sol's, and it was definitely worth the wait. Viewers have been watching Sincere grow close to both Sol and Melanie, and being "insincere" about the situation to his current connection, Melanie. After the results were announced, Melanie was in tears. Just earlier in the episode, she and Sincere resolved their differences and were back on the same page. The model was so happy that she screamed to the entire villa, "I got my man back," as Sincere carried her in his arms. Both Sol and Sincere seemed happy, with Sol saying she "saw it coming." Melanie, on the other hand, was devastated but at peace about closing this chapter. "I'm finally just happy to end this like triangle situation," she shared, standing beside other vulnerables, Corbin and Beatriz. She wished the new duo all the best, adding that "America saw something, I didn't."

The night did not end here as Ariana announced one girl would be dumped from the villa. Corbin was safe, as he was the only vulnerable guy, while two girls were in danger. He was given the choice to pair up with either Melanie or Beatriz, and he chose Melanie. The choice was not surprising, considering their kiss in a previous competition and growing closeness. Gabriel was emotional seeing Beatriz go. He believed he could "open up" in front of her, and Beatriz also thanked him for treating her like a "normal person." Both shared a solid connection since Gabriel entered the villa as a bombshell. They parted ways, speaking in Spanish and on a hopeful note. 

The islanders also played a game called 'Sweet As Pie' in the episode. In this game, the islanders put pie all over the face of the participant who matched the description given by 'Aftersun' hosts Ciara Miller and Tefi Pessoa. Kayda was the happiest with the arrival of the new hosts, sharing that she is a huge Bravo fan. The competition saw Sol breaking down, possibly due to the pressure of villa dynamics around her. To find out how islanders navigate these new recouplings, catch 'Love Island' USA every day on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, except Wednesdays.