On Saturday night (July 4), NBC celebrated America’s 244th birthday with its annual Macy’s spectacular 4th of July fireworks.
Hosted by Hoy host Craig Melvin and meteorologist Dylan Dreyer, the special featured performances socially distanced from everyone from Black Eyed Peas and John Legend to The Killers, Lady A and Brad Paisley at venues across the country. Despite the truly unprecedented times surrounding the national holiday, Melvin promised “If there ever was a time to celebrate America, it’s tonight” when he opened the show from the top of the Marriott Marquee in Times Square.
While this year’s festivities may not have seemed like years past, musicians who came from Nashville, Los Angeles, and elsewhere gave exciting and memorable performances before the dazzling display of pyrotechnics in New York City.
Below, Billboard breaks down all the must-see moments from the annual Macy’s Fireworks Show on July 4.
Brad Paisley Launches an “American Saturday Night”
Brad Paisley started the night on a high note, performing the lively title track from his 2009 album American saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. Wearing a bright red guitar strap and a sparkly white cowboy hat, the country star kicked off the show with summer memories of “A French Kiss, Italian Ice / Daisies in the Moonlight / Just Another American Saturday Night” “backed by his socially estranged gang. Later, he also performed his quarantine teamwork anthem “There’s No Me in Beer.”
Lady A debuts her new name live
At the start of the special, newly baptized Lady A took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry to present her 2017 single “You Look Good.” The performance marked the first televised appearance of the country trio since it announced last month that they would abandon “Antebellum” in their name in response to national Black Lives Matter protests. Later in the show, Lady A also performed “Champagne Night,” the winning song from her recent NBC episode. Songland. Written by Canadian singer-songwriter Madeline Merlo, the song has peaked at number 27 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and marks the first winning entry in the songwriting competition series to be submitted. to radio as an official single.
The killers pay tribute to George Floyd with “Land of the Free”
The Killers performed a shortened version of their 2019 single “Land of the Free” live from the Prairie Sun recording studio in Sonoma, California. As a tribute to George Floyd, frontman Brandon Flowers uses acting to once again change the lyrics to the song’s poignant second verse. “When I get out in my car / I don’t think twice / But if you have the wrong skin color / You grow looking over your shoulders / In the land of the free / And how many murders should a man look at his house / Until see price on tab / Eight minutes measured and 46 seconds / Another boy in the bag / Another stain on the flag, “he sang from behind the piano in reference to Floyd’s tragic death at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officers.
Stories from “The American Spirit”
Between songs, the special ran a series of inspiring segments focused on “The American Spirit.” Featuring essential workers, activists, and other activists, as well as notable stars like actor Danny Trejo and Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes, the packages presented an inclusive and hopeful look at the ways Americans across the country have persevered for the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide protests for racial equity and other social upheavals that we have all faced in recent months.
Tim McGraw’s sentimental hit one and two
For his two appearances during the special, Tim McGraw offered a double dose of nostalgia and sentiment, first featuring his 1999 summer classic “Something Like That” followed by his 2020 single “I Called Mama”. While he hasn’t officially announced a new album just after the ballad of tears yet, the country star’s latest song has further consolidated his icon status by giving him chart successes for four separate decades. (So far, “I Called Mama” has peaked at number 22 on the Hot Country Songs chart.)
The Black Eyed Peas Revisit “Where’s the Love?”
Broadcasting from Los Angeles Volt Studios, the Black Eyed Peas dusted off their hit 2003 single “Where Is The Love?” for the fireworks special, with new collaborator J. Rey Soul taking over the voices of Fergie and Justin Timberlake on the original recording. During the first verse, Will.i.am changed the first verse of the shocking song to highlight the ongoing Black Live Matters movement, rapping, “But we still have terrorists living here / In the United States, the KKK / I can’t believe it yet they hate blacks today. ” The hip-hop group was also joined later in the show by Maluma, who appeared on video to deliver her verse in the Peas’ latest bilingual party anthem “Feel the Beat,” which appears on their new album. Translation.
The poet Amanda Gorman shares “Hymn of the believers for the Republic”
On a break between Paisley and Lady A’s second songs of the night, award-winning national youth poet Amanda Gorman presented an emotional performance of her 2019 work “Hymn of Believers for the Republic.” “Today, we meet so that the words of our Founders do not diminish. But also so that the work is not unfinished / Because it is not only in a declaration of independence / but in the daily declaration of their descendants / That makes a people the same / It is our right and our role / Remember these words written on parchment / So that we can live them and heal our entire nation, “she recited, reminding viewers that the United States still has a long way to go in its struggle.
End of John Legend’s “Legend”
John Legend closed the evening with a powerful presentation of his 2014 Oscar-winning hit, “Glory” from the Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic. Selma. Backed by a socially distant gospel choir draped in white robes, the EGOT winner chose to make an enthusiastic appeal for equality rather than collaborator Common’s second verse.
“Today, when we celebrate July 4, when this nation declared its independence, we must remember that not all were free at that time. Too many of our brothers and sisters were not free. The ideals that this nation represents, are not yet to the height, “he declared during a bloated instrumental pause. “We have to keep fighting, keep marching, get closer to freedom, closer to justice, closer to equality. We are going to keep marching; we hope you continue marching with us. And one day when glory comes, it will be ours. “
