Aiden Ross still can’t quite wrap his head around it. The 20-year-old Texas A&M student — and the very first artist we met in Season 28 when he opened the Blinds with Adele’s “Love in the Dark” — ended the season exactly where he started: center stage, this time hearing Carson Daly announce him as the winner. The new champ, now Niall Horan’s third straight victor, says the moment transported him straight back to childhood.

“When Carson Daly said my name, I got an immediate flashback,” Ross recalls. “I was six when Season 1 came out, watching with my family in our living room with my little chair turned around … to be on the other side of the screen, and to have won the thing — I keep saying the word surreal, but that’s just what it is.”

Ross says opening and closing the season was “unexpected but an incredible opportunity,” and now that the whirlwind is over, he’s looking ahead to both new music and what comes next in his studies. But first, he walked us through his journey — from picking that first Adele song to choosing Horan, to balancing engineering classes with live shows — in a candid conversation hours after his win. Watch the full video interview above.

Gold Derby: Going back to the beginning, how much pressure did you put on yourself for that Blind Audition? Why choose “Love in the Dark”?

Aiden Ross: The lyrics to ‘Love in the Dark’ really spoke to me … Adele’s obviously — if you can pull off an Adele song, you should do the Adele song. I knew I wanted to do an Adele song, but I picked that one because it was one of the stronger ones I had done. The show accepted it and chose that for me upon my request, and here we are.

Throughout the season you gravitated toward female-led songs and reinterpreting them. Why does that approach work for you?

We have roughly two minutes per round to show everything we can do. … I’m ripping these songs apart and putting them back together, asking, How can I show my artistry without ruining the song? A lot of times people change songs too much.

The logic behind picking female songs is just who I am and how I’ve grown up. I have a natural different interpretation of these songs. Like when I did ‘when the party’s over’ in Billie Eilish’s original key — it sits a lot higher in my register, so it has a totally different dramatic feel. Mine’s a lot more growly and big … almost theater-esque.

You got a four-chair turn. Did you walk in thinking Niall, or did someone else tempt you?

I went in thinking Niall, but the four chairs turned around, Snoop brought out his chain, and I lost my mind for a minute. He really wanted me and fought really hard. For a second I started to lean toward Snoop. But at the end of the day, it was Niall through and through … it was like big brother–little brother vibes. He makes the type of music I’d want to make someday. Evidently the right decision.

Now he’s undefeated — 3-for-3. What was the best advice he gave you?

On a show like this, it’s easy to get in the clouds. … I’d be quick to throw on all these runs and big notes, but you can lose sight of the interpretation of the song. Niall helped me find the heartbeat of the song. Letting the runs and big notes stem from what the lyrics are saying, rather than just wanting to show off — that helped me as a writer too.

You’re still in college. How did you juggle school, and does winning change your plans?

This past semester I wasn’t a full-time student. I was taking an online class and it was very doable. I’ll do as much school as I can while being 100 percent honest that I’m giving everything I can to music. … I owe it to myself and to the people who voted for me.

I’ll probably take a couple online classes next semester. Either way, I’ll be involved with A&M — I’m an Aggie through my blood.

Your a cappella group HardChord DynaMix has been a big part of your life. What do they think about all of this?

My freshman year was pretty hard — I didn’t have a ton of friends until I joined HardChord. They were the most loving, accepting people … they became my best friends. There’s something special about singing with another person — the vulnerability of it. I’m going to try my best to be at AcaPalooza, maybe do a special performance.

You have a new song coming out. What can you tease?

It is coming out very soon. If I had to ballpark it, within the month.

A hint? Are we laughing, dancing, crying?

You might do all of it. I like to take the person on a journey … it has a very live, raw feel. There’s something honest about the song I think people will relate to. It’s pretty mainstream, really enjoyable. I think it captures who I am and my artistry perfectly.

Last question — dream duet or collaboration?

Lizzy McAlpine. One hundred percent. She’s one of my biggest inspirations — the way she writes and the way she carries herself. She’s the best.