Empire State Building to partner with Macy’s 4th of July fireworks (slide show)

For 36 years, Macy’s has dominated the Independence Day festivities with its Fourth of July fireworks show, but this year, another NYC icon (and one of our favorite family attractions!) is joining in the celebration—the Empire State Building. The skyscraper will contribute an LED light show with its new Tower Lights, which will coordinate with the effects of the fireworks during the finale of the 25-minute show. The lights and fireworks will also be choreographed to a playlist curated by Usher—keep an ear out for a mash-up of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York and Alicia Keys’s and Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind.

So, if you and the family are fighting the crowds to nab a front-seat view of the pyrotechnics this year, don’t forget to look back at the NYC skyline during the finale for a glimpse of the Empire State Building—it shouldn’t be hard to miss!

The Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks begin at approximately 9:25pm on Thursday, July 4; watch on NBC or listen to the patriotic tunes on Z-100 and 1010 WINS.