Usher 'Curates' Macy's Fireworks Show This Year

For the first time in its 37-year history, Macy’s invited a guest curator to create the musical backdrop for the 2013 fireworks show. Usher not only created an unforgettable playlist, the R&B and hip-hop star also had a hand in choreographing the fireworks display itself and made it a point to add his touch to every aspect of the show, from the music to the posters. You can listen to his musical backdrop for the show on 1010 WINS AM or, for the first time, on Z-100 FM.

Q: Amy Kule, executive producer of the fireworks show, said you were at the top of their list when they went to find a curator. What went through your mind when you learned that Macy’s wanted you to put together the soundtrack for the fireworks?

A: That compliment bestowed on me was a responsibility. I wanted to make sure that the song collection that I created was representative of who we are as Americans and who we have evolved to be throughout the years, both good and bad, up and downs. You think about all of the changes that have happened over the last four or five years, and we are very optimistic as Americans. We have an African-American president, policies are definitely changing in terms of what is fair, what is right, what are the new standards of life. All these different things, be it political conversations or just life conversations.

Me curating, it’s far more than me just showing up and allowing my name to be on a bill. I wanted to represent America. I wanted people to understand something more about me artistically. It’s not just me being a dancer on a stage, but being able to recognize other incredible people and what they’ve done. To highlight incredible things we’ve overcome as people in America. Making an investment and being able to empathize and understand and give credence to some of the things we’ve had to overcome. And that right there is what I think creates a legendary artist, a legendary person, a legendary show.

Q: Describe the playlist. This is no ordinary mixtape, how did you go about putting it together?

A: This was no ordinary mixtape at all. I feel like we, as Americans, represent bookends of life and culture. The old philosophy is pared down, but how we operate is still intact, but yet there’s a new philosophy that is mostly led by youth, and that’s what I mean when I say bookends. Old and new, coming together at once. So I started with the old classic, “The Star Spangled Banner.” I think that Jimi Hendrix’s version of it, played at Woodstock, was memorable because of him playing it, but also it was a statement about our transition as people. And then the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra — I felt like that would be a great touch to really represent the bookend. Classic music and rock coming together in a really unique way.

You can be deep about it, or you can just listen to an incredible soundtrack and look at some incredible lights in the sky.

Q: You have some all-stars on the playlist — Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi singing “All of the Lights,” Kelly Clarkson performing “Stronger” plus your songs, “Euphoria” and “OMG” — what else are you excited to showcase on the Fourth?

A: “America the Beautiful.” I made a really, really, really amazing relationship with Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. I played that song there specifically for them, not only because it’s a beautiful rendition of it, but because they’re great friends of mine.

Q: If you had five more minutes to add to the show, what would you add?

A: Five more minutes and the liberty to just do whatever I wanted?

Man, I don’t know, Ace Hood doing Bugatti? (laughs) I don’t know, man. I’m joking, but I’m serious because part of this is about having fun. Ceremonies like this can become very redundant or stale because there’s a specific expectation. When you add young, bright ideas that are not about following a specific standard something new is created. It’s about having fun and being thoughtful at the same time. I wanted it to be a legendary, remarkable moment that had a deeper message.

Q: You didn’t just put together a playlist for the show, you also worked with Pyro Spectaculars by Souza on the fireworks portion. What was that like?

A: It was hard for me to articulate what I had in my mind, so it took a lot of them giving me sketches of how things could look in the sky and also giving me an idea of what kind of colors I could work with. We went out to the desert. I Instagrammed a few photos of some of the work that they fired off. Some things that are really special, I decided not to show you guys that.

Q: There’s a special Usher shell that is going to be fired off when your songs begin during the show. What went through your mind when you saw that fired off for the first time, and what can you tell us about it?

A: The first thing that I said was, “This sure does beat the bottlerocket I was shooting off last year.” In addition to being able to have access to such an incredible moment to convey art and culture, I have something in the middle of it that I can say was specifically made for me. I appreciated it. I just really appreciated it. I was thankful. You’ve seen me wear my red shoes everywhere, so I’ll tell you it’s red.

Q: What was the biggest challenge in this whole process?

A: Knowing when to stop, knowing when enough was enough. I came up with ideas that were outside of what they would even think. I started to bring in specific lighting, LEDs, lasers, because I wanted to really do something that you had never seen.

Q: You’re known for being very involved in creating your own shows, having a hand in choreography and how things look — did that help you in this process?

A: If I can, with creative directors, choreographers, come up with a two-hour show, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the creative specs for a 25-minute show. It costs a lot more, and there’s a lot more at stake, because if I get this wrong, I’m gonna have America mad at me. Fireworks are more than just fire in the sky.