Texas A&M student Aiden Ross talks becoming an instant star & vibing with Niall Horan on ‘The Voice’

Aiden Ross grew up singing with family, the youngest of three children in College Station. In seventh grade, he started playing the guitar and eventually began performing around town. Now, he’s an instant star with cosigns from music legends and pop icons.

Ross, 20, opened Season 28 of “The Voice” and earned all four chair turns from Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé and Niall Horan. After some pleading, Ross chose Horan as his coach for the TV competition.

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“It proves to myself, which I think is something that I needed, that I really could have what it takes to be successful in this space,” Ross says on a Zoom call just a few days after his audition airs.

Ross is currently a sophomore at Texas A&M University, studying industrial distribution within the engineering school. He’s inspired by Lizzy McAlpine and the family dynamic of Billie Eilish and Finneas, a call back to his own musical upbringing. Ross released his first single, “Everything and More,” to coincide with “The Voice” premiere. That synergy has already earned the song thousands of streams.

“”I just want to spread love, joy and positivity,” he says. “I think that’s my calling.”

Ahead of the show’s battle rounds, where singers from the same team are paired up and one is eliminated, Ross spoke about the immediate change he’s experienced and his favorite One Direction song.

What has life been like since your audition aired?

I’m really still just taking it all in. I knew my community was gonna be there for me, but it’s been crazy to see how almost like bits of the entire world have really shown up, whether it be reaching out to me in my DMs or old friends that I may have not even talked to in years that are just sending me some encouragement. It’s just an overwhelming amount of support, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Overwhelming must be an understatement.

Just a tad, but it’s not overwhelming in a negative way. We filmed the blinds months ago and to have it finally be aired and see what bits they used for content, and things that even the coaches said that I didn’t get the chance to hear while I was singing, like when Snoop called me his nephew, that was crazy and that was so funny and everybody was freaking out. I didn’t even know that he said that. It was really sweet.

How did you decide on an Adele song for your blind audition?

I hadn’t sang it at a gig before. She has a beautiful voice. And more importantly, she’s just an amazing writer and storyteller, so I kind of set the bar pretty high picking an Adele song. And so rather than, I think, trying to meet it, I tried to move it a little bit and almost create my own. I sound very different from Adele, of course, so I had to move the pedestal and make it my own.

Can you describe what it felt like when the first chair turned?

I stepped onto that stage, and all I see are these four big, red chairs that haven’t turned yet. Tere’s supposed to be four massive celebrities behind them, but you don’t really know if there are until they turn. It’s such an interesting emotional contrast because I’m singing this heart-wrenching song that’s sad and brutal. And then Snoop Dogg turns his chair and I’m like, oh, there we go. He’s a real person in the middle of my song. But if I just had to simplify it, I was freaking out.

Aiden Ross grew up in College Station and is studying industrial distribution at A&M. (Danny Ventrella/NBC)

How do you keep your composure and stay in the moment when not just one but all four chairs eventually turn?

I did for second go on autopilot. But I think the gravity of the situation, knowing that this could be the biggest opportunity I ever have, I think that kept me grounded. It was incredible. Now I have to bring this thing home. It was game time.

You chose Niall Horan as your coach. Did you want him from the beginning?

Yes, but let me tell you, it was not an easy decision. I mean, Snoop Dogg owns his own record label. Michael’s an incredible singer. We always have his tunes bumping during Christmas time. Reba’s established herself in every space in the industry. But I think Niall was the right fit for me because he came from a TV show. I love his music, I really do. “This Town” is a song I’ve performed at countless gigs. And also, I think I just vibe with him, simple as that. I think we’re both pretty wholesome dudes, pretty laid back, but also kind of jokesters.

What have you learned from working with him so far?

You know, seeking out advice for the song that I’ll be singing in the battle rounds, I was kind of struggling. He says to me, just sing the song, man. And I think there’s so much more weight to that than you may realize. Just tell the story, think about what the words are saying and really portray it because as important as the technicalities are  – and believe that every run, every riff, every high note, every vocal inflection I did on “Love in the Dark” was planned out, and I had done it a thousand times before  – the core of a performance is the emotion behind it. You wanna make people feel something, so that was something that I really worked with him on.

What’s the balance like of school, performing and whatever else comes with life?

That balance looks like Google Calendar. In high school, I was able to coast by without being too organized. But in college, with what I want to do and who I aspire to be, it just doesn’t work without Google Calendar. I’ll write the smallest things on it, like, lunchtime, and it really is helpful. It was difficult last year, especially when I found out I would be on the show. That was exciting, but managing working with my band, being with my acapella, finals, taking Cal(culus) II and physics, it was a lot. But it’s very, very doable.

Now the truly important question – what’s your favorite One Direction song?

Oh my gosh. “History,” not even hard. Just the vibe, even just the music video is so sentimental. I find myself going back to it, and it’s really just a banger, man. I don’t know what to say.

This article originally published at Texas A&M student Aiden Ross talks becoming an instant star & vibing with Niall Horan on ‘The Voice’.