Usher Picks Songs for Empire State Building's Big July 4 Light Show

If you're still looking for a way to spend your Fourth of July, consider putting the Empire State Building's televised light show at the top of your list.

For Independence Day, the behemoth of a building is teaming up with the 37th Annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks for an explosive celebration, in which the skyscraper's LED tower lights will mirror New York City's pyrotechnics with a choreographed light show. Eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist Usher has scored the soundtrack for the event and has also helped inspire the design elements for the night's “It Begins With a Spark" finale.

“Partnering the World’s Most Famous Building with the world’s most famous fireworks spectacular can only happen in New York City,” said Anthony E. Malkin of the Empire State Building in a statement. “As the iconic feature of the New York City skyline, we are honored to have this opportunity to add our unmatchable LED lights to the celebration.”

The fireworks this year are set to Usher's playlist, and the finale's LED light show will be set to a mash-up of Frank Sinatra’s "New York, New York" and Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s "Empire State of Mind." Renowned lighting-design artist Marc Brickman will create the light show.

The 1,454-foot building’s LED tower lights debuted in November 2012 to a light show choreographed to two Alicia Keys songs. Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks will feature more than 40,000 effects exploding in a 25-minute synchronized display, fired from four barges positioned between 24th and 40th streets on the Hudson River. Usher will flip the switch during a lighting ceremony Wednesday to ignite the Empire State Building’s world-famous tower lights in celebration of Independence Day and to kick-off the Fourth of July festivities.

Local spectators can tune in to 1010 WINS-AM or Z-100 FM to listen, and revelers not in the area can catch the action during NBC’s two-hour entertainment special, Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, hosted by Nick Cannon and featuring performances by Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw, among others, beginning around 8 p.m. ET. The display will commence at approximately 9:25 p.m.

Image via MEHDI TAAMALLAH/AFP/Getty Images