When season 28 of “The Voice” opened this fall, the first standout moment came from Aiden Ross, a Texas A&M University industrial distribution student. Taking the stage with Adele’s “Love In The Dark,” Ross delivered a performance that earned a coveted four-chair turn and rave reviews from celebrity coaches Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Michael Bublé.
From Aggieland to the spotlight
Ross reflected on his journey so far, noting how the Aggie spirit continues to guide him.
Born and raised in Aggieland, Ross found his love of music during family jam sessions, where his father introduced him to the guitar, and singing with his sister taught him to harmonize. In high school, he sharpened his vocal skills performing with A&M Consolidated’s a cappella group and at Bryan’s First Fridays.
When he applied to “The Voice” last year, he was an engineering student juggling a rigorous course load, student organization activities, campus life, his band, and university a cappella group, HardChord DynaMix.
Fast forward to September 2025, when everything changed for Ross. He released his debut single, “Everything and More,” and was launched onto the world stage with his premiere on “The Voice.”
“It was arguably the happiest I've been in my whole life, so it was hard to sing such an emotionally heart-wrenching song,” Ross said.
Ross describes his audition piece, “‘Love In The Dark,”’ as “an incredible song, sung by an incredible singer and incredible storyteller.” Rather than match Adele’s style, his goal was to carve out his own.
“That was hard, and I had to work at it,” he said.
As a sophomore engineering student, Ross is no stranger to technical problem-solving, a skill he brings into his music. Still, he believes performance is ultimately about connecting to people.
“People don't care what you're doing if they don’t feel,” he said. “Balancing those two aspects has been important to me.”
Before stepping onto the big stage, in front of cameras, bright lights and superstar judges, Ross reminded himself of the work he had invested. His engineering mindset found confidence in that precise preparation.
“I have sung this many, many times exactly the way I wanted to,” he recalled reminding himself before stepping on the big stage. I've drilled every vocal inflection, every riff, every big note, every breath. Everything was planned out, and it was set. So, why would I mess up now?”
All four coaches turned their chairs for Ross’ performance, but in the end he chose Niall Horan as his coach. Drawn to his personality, youth and shared musical style, Ross felt their connection was a natural fit.
“Niall is very genuine, very wholesome,” Ross said.
‘I’m a proud Aggie’
For Ross, representing Texas A&M is more than a point of pride. It’s a mindset, the core values and the Aggie Spirit he brings to every stage and every interaction.
“I’ve taken that spirit off-stage, behind the scenes to other contestants on ‘The Voice,’ and I support them,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised by the show’s loving environment. The people on the show are all standout people, and it‘s been really special to share this experience with them.”
When discussing Aggie traditions, Ross compares how he feels when performing on “The Voice” to the spine-tingling feeling all Aggies experience when the football team’s runout song shakes Kyle Field.
“Before I step onto the stage, I'll imagine I'm at an A&M football game and getting hyped,” he said.
Ask him about this year’s Aggie football team, and his face lights up.
“We're looking good! All I can do is support, show my love as a fan and show up to the game,” Ross said. “I'll be there Saturday. Wouldn't miss it.”
Plan to see Aiden at Kyle Field in the coming weeks as he is finished filming “The Voice” for a while. “If I make it to the live rounds, I’ll go back at the end of November,” he revealed.
At 20 years old, Ross has a healthy perspective on this journey.
“The dream right now is to just focus on learning and see where it takes me,” he said. “Stepping into this show at 20, I’m trying to keep and show a lot of humility. I barely have my foot in the door. I’m in this space and around people that have already found success or have toured with incredible artists or have made incredible music, so I want to soak it all up, be a sponge.”
Ross has received strong support from Bryan/College Station and the Aggie network, all rooting for his continued success on the show.
“Oh my gosh, it's unbelievable. To be supported by the Aggie community is such a blessing,” he said. “I was ready for the student body to get excited, but I was shocked at how active the alumni are. People in my DMs being like, ‘Class of 85.’ Wow, are you kidding me? Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.”
The level of support I've received is astounding. If I didn't respond to a DM, I'm sorry. There's a fair amount of them! But I read them, and they seriously mean the world.”
I cannot wait for you guys to see what's in store.”