Country Star Chase Rice Teases His Bachelor Cameo: 'I Was Involved More Than I Wanted to Be'
Chase Rice is the latest country crooner to be tapped for an appearance on The Bachelor.
Speaking with PEOPLE on the red carpet at the CMA Awards on Wednesday night in Nashville, the musician revealed that he said yes to performing a few songs on season 24 after consulting fellow musicians Dan + Shay, who previously sang during a date on the ABC reality series.
“It was interesting. You’ll have to wait and see,” Rice, 34, said about the experience. “My thing was I wanted to go on there for the music. I wanted to go on there and play some songs. I talked to Dan + Shay, I was like, ‘Is it worth it?’ They said absolutely. I wanted to go out there and promote ‘Lonely If You Are’ and ‘Eyes On You’ and I did.”
The show has featured acts like Dolly Parton, Robin Thicke, Chicago, Train, Colbie Caillat, Big & Rich, the Backstreet Boys, the Baha Men and Russell Dickerson. But Rice teased that his cameo may involve more drama than the dating show’s musical performances typically do.
“Then there was an extracurricular activity that I wasn’t expecting,” he said.
Although he didn’t reveal exactly what took place, Rice explained that he “knew some contestants on the show” prior to taping.
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“I was involved, and I was involved more than I wanted to be involved with. That will be coming out I’m sure in January,” said Rice, who added that he will “be dropping some new music in January whatever day that airs.”
When PEOPLE joked that he might end up engaged during Peter Weber’s season, Rice quickly clarified.
“Absolutely not. I will not be engaged and I will not be the next Bachelor, I can set that straight right now,” he said. “But I will be putting out new music in January. It’s going to be a good week.”
ABC reps had no comment.
RELATED: The Bachelor‘s Peter Weber Rocks His Pilot’s Uniform in Dashing New Poster: ‘Expect Turbulence’
On Jan. 6, beloved airline pilot Weber, who was dubbed “Pilot Pete,” will be making his debut as The Bachelor’s new leading man.
Weber, who hails from Westlake Village, California — just around the corner from the Bachelor mansion — placed third on Hannah Brown‘s season of The Bachelorette. He won viewers’ hearts all the way to his devastating elimination during the show’s finale.
In September, Weber was announced as the next Bachelor during the season finale of Bachelor in Paradise.
“It’s still hitting me right now, and I feel so grateful just to have this opportunity in front of me,” Weber told host Chris Harrison during the telecast.
The Bachelor premieres Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
