Aiden Ross closed out Part 1 of The Voice Season 28 finale with a stirring rendition of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All,” delivering one of the night’s most talked-about performances as the competition narrowed ahead of Tuesday’s live results show.
The Monday (Dec. 15) episode featured the Top 6 finalists each performing two songs — one contemporary and one classic — as viewers voted overnight to determine the Season 28 winner, which will be revealed during the Dec. 16 finale broadcast.
Ross, representing Team Niall, returned to the stage last with the ABBA classic, stripping the song back and leaning into its emotional core. Coach Niall Horan praised the performance in the moment, telling his finalist he was “so, so proud” and urging America to vote following what he called an “absolutely incredible” showing.
Earlier in the night, Ross opened his finals run with JVKE’s “Golden Hour,” earning another enthusiastic response from Horan, who said the singer consistently finds “the heartbeat” of every song he performs. The two performances capped a strong night for Team Niall, which also included DEK of Hearts advancing via America’s vote.
Each coach entered the finale with one artist selected from the Playoffs: Ralph Edwards for Snoop Dogg, Aubrey Nicole for Reba McEntire, Ross for Horan, and Jazz McKenzie for Michael Bublé. Two additional finalists — Max Chambers from Team Bublé and DEK of Hearts from Team Niall — earned their spots through viewer votes revealed during the episode.
Highlights from the evening included Aubrey Nicole delivering a confident take on Cody Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t,” followed later by a crowd-pleasing performance of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” a song famously recorded by McEntire herself.
Jazz McKenzie drew emotional reactions from both Snoop Dogg and Bublé with performances of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” while Max Chambers showcased range with Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” and Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.”
Ralph Edwards rounded out the night with performances of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” and Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” earning praise from Snoop Dogg for his growth as a performer and stage presence.
With voting now closed, the winner of The Voice Season 28 will be crowned during Part 2 of the finale, airing Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, following a preshow at 8 p.m. ET.
The finale concludes Tuesday night at 9/8c on NBC, with a special preshow beginning an hour earlier. One of these six artists will walk away with the title, but based on Monday’s performances, the music industry is getting six new stars regardless of who takes home the trophy.
