In the pressure-cooker glow of NBC’s The Voice studio, where every harmony teeters on the edge of heartbreak and every high note can rewrite a performer’s fate, magic doesn’t always arrive with fanfare—it sneaks in on the wings of vulnerability. On October 20, 2025, during the third night of the Battle Rounds in Season 28, that magic materialized in the form of Aiden Ross and Ava Nat, two Team Niall Horan contenders whose duet of “What a Time” transformed a routine showdown into an unforgettable symphony of soul. The 21-year-old Texas A&M student from College Station and the 22-year-old Garden City, New York native didn’t just sing Julia Michaels and Niall Horan’s 2017 chart-topper; they inhabited it, their voices intertwining like long-lost lovers reminiscing under a harvest moon. Coaches leaned forward in rapt silence, the audience held its collective breath, and when the final chord faded, Reba McEntire—ever the voice of unfiltered wisdom—delivered the verdict that has fans dreaming of duos: “You guys make a great duet. No matter what happens on this show, I urge you to form a duo on the road.” It was a pronouncement that echoed through the episode, turning a potential elimination into a launchpad for something bigger—a “new perfect pair” born from the battles, poised to conquer hearts beyond the blind chairs.

For newcomers tuning into The Voice‘s latest chapter—or die-hards still buzzing from the Blinds’ four-chair frenzy—this Battle wasn’t just a highlight; it was a revelation. Season 28, which premiered on September 22 with a panel of Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, and Horan, has already carved its niche as a season of surprises. The twist? Artists pick their own Battle partners, flipping the script on traditional coach pairings and injecting raw chemistry into the mix. Ross and Nat, both Horan turns from the auditions, gravitated toward each other like magnets—Ava craving “more of a duet out of my partnership,” as she put it during rehearsals. Their choice paid dividends: A stripped-down arrangement of “What a Time,” bathed in soft piano and amber lighting, stripped the song to its emotional core. Horan’s own track—a wistful ballad about cherishing fleeting joys amid life’s chaos—became their canvas, with Ross’s falsetto soaring like a shooting star and Nat’s rich alto grounding it in earthy warmth. “This is the best battle of the season,” one viewer tweeted post-airing, a sentiment echoed across 200,000 social mentions in 24 hours. As the performance unfolded, flashbacks to their solos—Ross’s gut-wrenching “Love in the Dark” by Adele, Nat’s tender “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves—underscored why Horan, in a cheeky nod to self-indulgence, assigned his own hit. “Is it really self-indulgent?” he quipped to mega-mentor Lewis Capaldi. The Scotsman’s deadpan reply? “Yes. Massively.” But Nat insisted it felt like “an honor,” and from the first verse—”This time, this time, this time, this time”—it was clear: Honor had evolved into alchemy.

Aiden Ross’s path to this moment reads like a coming-of-age script tailored for the heartland. A senior at Texas A&M majoring in biomedical engineering, the lanky 21-year-old from a tight-knit family in College Station grew up harmonizing in church choirs and belting Adele anthems in his dorm room. Music was always the escape—through high school theater gigs and late-night open mics at local spots like The Corner Grill—but college deadlines nearly derailed his dreams. “I was cramming for midterms when I hit record on my audition tape,” Ross shared in a pre-show interview, his easy grin belying the nerves that gripped him during the Blinds. Seventeen seconds in, all four chairs spun: Horan’s “Woah!” pierced the air, Snoop raised his shades in awe, Bublé called it “flawless,” and Reba dubbed his timbre “a warm hug.” Opting for Team Niall—drawn to the coach’s folk-rock roots and “genuine vibe”—Ross’s Blind earned him the night’s first four-chair buzz, Snoop’s mid-song scream a viral clip that’s racked up 5 million views on TikTok. Rehearsals with Capaldi revealed more layers: “Someone You Loved” was Ross’s first piano learn, a personal anchor he wove into the Battle prep. Onstage, his falsetto in the bridge—”What a time, what a time to be alive”—didn’t just hit notes; it shattered expectations, blending youthful polish with a maturity that hinted at stadium-ready stardom.

Ava Nat, meanwhile, brings a coastal poetry to the pair’s dynamic—a 22-year-old from Long Island’s Garden City whose voice carries the salt-kissed introspection of indie coffeehouse sets. Raised in a multicultural home (her mom a Filipina nurse, dad an Italian-American teacher), Nat discovered her range in high school a cappella groups, channeling influences from Norah Jones to H.E.R. into original demos she posted on SoundCloud. The pandemic sharpened her resolve: Virtual gigs turned into a full EP, Whispers at Dawn, self-released in 2023 to local acclaim. “Singing saved me from the isolation,” she reflected, her wide smile lighting up a post-Blind featurette. Her audition—a luminous “Golden Hour” that turned three chairs (Horan, Reba, Snoop)—drew praise for its “sweetness and richness,” as Reba noted. Joining Team Niall felt fated; his encouragement during rehearsals—”Lean into the story, not the shine”—unlocked a vulnerability that shone in the Battle. Nat’s harmonies with Ross weren’t mere backups; they were dialogues, her alto weaving through his leads like threads in a tapestry, evoking the song’s theme of ephemeral bliss. “We clicked from day one,” she told reporters post-taping. “Aiden’s energy is infectious—it’s like singing with a best friend you didn’t know you had.”

The performance’s alchemy didn’t escape the coaches, whose reactions formed a chorus of acclaim that elevated the night. Horan, visibly torn—”This is a really tough one”—praised the “level of consistency” but ultimately crowned Ross the winner, his falsetto “melting” him into submission. Yet in a move that sealed their fates as a duo, he deployed his sole Save on Nat, thwarting Snoop’s sly steal attempt. “I love Ava’s voice and her ability to tell a story,” Horan confessed to the cameras, a decision that kept the pair intact on his roster. Snoop, ever the poet, likened their blend to “witnessing teenage love—beautiful, making me want to shed a tear.” He joked about Horan’s “cheating” with his own track but admitted, “I turned for both solo, but together? Heart impression.” Bublé, melting over the falsetto, leaned Ross; Reba, refusing to choose, dropped the mic with her duo decree: “You couldn’t pick either—take both!” Her words, delivered with that signature twang, weren’t flattery; they were prophecy. “If individual careers don’t work out, you could be a duet,” she added, envisioning roadhouse residencies and festival slots. In a season of steals and saves, it was the most organic endorsement yet, sparking #RossAndNat trending with fan mocks of album art and tour posters.

This “perfect pair” moment arrives amid Season 28’s fever pitch, a cycle that’s redefined The Voice with artist-led pairings and mega-mentor star power. The Blinds set the tone: Ross’s four-chair frenzy opened the show, Nat’s three-chair glow-up followed suit. Battles have been a gauntlet—Natalia Albertini’s save from Snoop, Carolina Rodriguez’s steal to his team—culminating in Ross and Nat’s standout. Horan’s strategy? A mix of his catalog and curveballs, prepped with Capaldi’s gravelly guidance. “They took it as an honor,” Horan marveled, the self-indulgent pick paying off in spades. Offstage, the duo’s bond deepened: Shared Texas-NY stories over craft services, impromptu jams in green rooms. Ross, engineering whiz by day, dreams of Nashville sessions; Nat eyes indie labels, her EP a calling card. Reba’s nudge? It resonates—duos like The Swarbs (Season 15) parlayed Voice chemistry into tours. Fans speculate: A post-show single? Joint EP? X threads buzz with “What a Time” covers, one viral edit layering their Battle over Horan-Michaels’ original hitting 1 million plays.

Thematically, their duet captures The Voice‘s essence: Fleeting connections forging lasting legacies. “What a Time” isn’t just a song—it’s a meditation on presence, Horan and Michaels’ voices a blueprint for Ross and Nat’s seamless sync. Ross’s falsetto evokes Horan’s own, a meta nod that blurred coach-contestant lines. Nat’s richness adds depth, her vibrato a counterpoint to his clarity. Together, they embody the show’s magic: Strangers become storytellers, rivals reveal kinships. As Knockouts loom—Ross and Nat advancing, their paths potentially crossing again—the duo’s future gleams. Reba’s urging? A roadmap. “Form a duo on the road,” she implored, and in fan chats, it’s gospel. “They’re the new Kelsea and Morgan—watch,” one predicts.

As October’s embers fade into November’s chill, Aiden Ross and Ava Nat stand as Season 28’s beacon—a perfect pair unearthed from the battles, their “What a Time” a timeless echo. Win or wander, their harmony endures, a reminder that in The Voice‘s roar, the sweetest songs are sung in tandem. The road awaits; the duet beckons. What a time indeed.