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BRINGING THE SPARK TO LIFE

MUSICAL AND CREATIVE DESIGN ARE PUSHED TO EXCITING NEW

HEIGHTS AS USHER AND MACY’S COLLABORATE ON THE

37TH ANNUAL MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS®

New York, NY - June 17, 2013 – The 37th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® is set to be a grand display of pomp and circumstance in celebration of America’s birthday. Curated for the first time by musical sensation Usher, this year’s Macy’s Fireworks spectacular – titled “It Begins with a Spark” - is sure to amaze fans of all ages with its unique expression of American patriotism. This year’s score was hand-picked by Usher who was inspired to create a fireworks show reminding Americans of their greatest assets – their freedom and individuality. A full range of genres are included in the score to showcase and highlight the diversity of Americans and their equally diverse musical tastes. Those watching and listening to the show on 1010 WINS AM or Z-100 FM can rock to the beat of music by Jimi Hendrix, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Frank Sinatra and Rihanna, among others. Taking his artistry from the recording studio to the night sky, Usher and the Macy’s Fireworks team collaborated next on the design of the pyro spectacle. From visual cues and inspiration to pace and color direction, Usher’s performance savvy translated to the choreographed dance in the sky. But before the magic takes place on Independence Day, more than 40,000 effects are synchronized to each song segment, including the Usher Shell, manufactured exclusively for the Macy’s Fireworks show in celebration of the collaboration with the superstar artist. The fireworks are then hand-wired by professionals, packed into firing mortars and set onto the four barges in order to create a systematic launch of approximately 1,600 shells per minute during the 25-minute long display. Making their debut in the show this year are new shells including the winking-eye happy faces, water mines, sea shells, beating hearts and many more.

Highlights of the 37th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks – It Begins with a Spark Star Spangled Banner / Jimi Hendrix and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Mash Up

• Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock kicks off the fireworks display with thousands of bursts in the sky.

• Purple, green, yellow and cherry colored shells create a wonderful array of excitement that ignites the night sky as the song unfolds.

• Aimed to present fireworks in a non-traditional way, the “pyrotechnic chaos” incorporates corkscrew shapes, ghost-like transformations and eclipse patterns in a variety of colors.

All of the Lights / Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi

• Bright lights ignite and brighten the sky setting the stage for the rest of the show – a dance party.

• Glittering silver fireworks along with bright titanium white strobes flicker across the water’s edge. Japanese style Nishiki Crowns in gold and silver crackle in the sky igniting a brilliant light effect.

• As the music transitions, gold and silver stars and silver bees fly in the sky. Usher’s inspiration to break away from the standard fireworks pattern led the Macy’s team to utilize its computer firing system to alter the colors of bursts on each barge. Each beat is alternated in these color pairs to create a pyro dance rhythm.

Levels / Avicii

• Portuguese-made fireworks are presented with traditional Portuguese style elements incorporated throughout the rhythmic presentation.

• Flashes of lightning in various colors burst to the rhythm of the beat as the musical elements speed up. Thousands of bee-shaped fireworks buzz across the sky in countless colors.

• As the song comes to an end, thundering reports shake the sky with flashes and swirls of color.

Save the World / Swedish House Mafia

• The pulsating beat inspires the fireworks to burst from the Hudson River and rise 800-feet into the air, presented in alternating green and blue shades.

• Fireworks burst into the shape of planet Earth with glittering sparks glowing from within the sphere. Patterned aqua-colored shells erupt into shapes of jellyfish and gold seashells.

• As the segment ends, a sky full of fireworks transform into butterflies painted purple and gold.

Stronger / Kelly Clarkson

• The segment begins with a pastel rainbow fan swirling to the beat of this pop hit. Fireworks shaped like umbrella crowns, dahlias and peonies line the sky next in an array of pastel colors.

• As the song continues shells burst in the sky with yellow/purple and orange/yellow centers.

• As the song reaches a climax multi-pastel stars dominate in rapid fire succession.

Diamonds / Rihanna

• Usher’s vision to light the night sky with sparkling diamonds led to the use of flickering strobes above the Hudson River shooting from each barge creating a diamond pattern, a first for Macy’s Fireworks.

• Silver spiders sparkle as the rhythm of the song builds. Electric white sparkle shells explode and fill the sky with more sparkling diamonds, which have a touch of blue sapphire to enhance the diamond’s presentation.

• As the segment comes to a close, a massive silver diadem chrysanthemum with blue pistils lights up the sky.

A Change is Gonna Come / Sam Cooke

• A timeless American classic in its own right, this section highlights the importance of the American dream. Fireworks shaped like falling leaves begin to sprinkle down in red, green, blue and yellow as the song begins.

• As multi-colored stars hit the sky, water bursts create a multi-colored carpet.

• Water mines in red launch from the water to the beat of the song as it transitions into the next segment.

Euphoria / Usher

• The party kicks into high gear with intense bursts of red strobes.

• As the musical intensity builds, the red strobes transition into the exclusive Usher Shell, a golden willow with brilliant strobing stars.

• The segment finale is accompanied by splashes of red and green bursts filling the sky with intense dance bursts. As the song comes to an end, dramatic green and red cascades rain down as a wall of thunder using floral reports dazzle high above.

Yeah! / Usher

• Colorful comets take to the sky in different angles matching the musical beat.

• A new jellyfish shell is introduced with swirling and whistling stars as tentacles. Fireworks fans will also see a facelift to their favorite smiling face pattern with a new winking eye on some of the fireworks faces.

• Shells bursting five times while rising to their highest level, explode and change into multiple colors in a traditional Japanese-style, classic chrysanthemum pattern.

OMG / Usher

• Fireworks in gold arching patterns with sparkling ruby-colored stars wow the crowd at the start.

• To incorporate a visual analogy into a section of the song describing love, heart patterns appear in the sky including, for the first time ever, a beating heart effect. The sparkling gold and ruby bursts are then enhanced with shell patterns.

• Swimming stars and comets rise to 1,000-feet as the stars fade away to the sound of the musical beat. The segment ends with orange and green pulsating strobes fading out with the music.

Without You / Usher

• A heartfelt moment of reflection with a beat features glittering stars as techno-organ sounds dance to the rhythm.

• As the song builds, small flowers transition into multi-colored bouquets with palm flower centers.

• The song concludes with a wall of golden cascades creating the famed Macy’s Golden Mile, a signature element incorporated into each Macy’s Fireworks show that covers two miles of the sky with gold. Bringing a new twist to the show, the last 15-seconds of the Golden Mile will be enhanced with new Niagara Falls tip shells.

America the Beautiful / Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

• White stripes accompany red and blue falling lanterns in a patriotic salute.

• New red and blue ball shapes surrounded by a red ring create a tulip-shaped patriotic flower with an 800-foot silver trail in the next amazing scene.

• A wall of alternating red and blue bursts from alternating barges ignite into a mini finale with silver, red and blue bursts shining high above at the conclusion of this patriotic classic.

God Bless America / Choral Version

• As the emotional rendition hits the high notes, fireworks erupt into a patriotic burst of red, white and blue fireworks.

• Patriotic-colored flower petals dazzle in the sky followed by flowers bursting into gold, red, blue and silver thunder to create a flashing false finale.

New York, New York and Empire State of Mind / Frank Sinatra, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z

• Green and orange rings rise high above as spectators are serenaded by the voice of Frank Sinatra for the finale of the show. A barrage of multi-colored shells fills the sky as stained glass sparkling lights burst beneath cascades of Golden Kamuro willows.

• As the score winds down, red and blue colors burst and then disappear, only to return again with a cluster of sparkle that paints the sky. In addition, the renowned Empire State Building will join the Independence Day festivities and choreograph its new, one-of-a-kind LED Tower lights to the explosive end of the nation’s largest pyrotechnic display.

• As the Empire State Building shines bright with color for the grand finale, Macy’s famed “Rumble to Remember” returns as thousands of popping crackers and thundering reports wish everyone a happy 4

th of July!

For those viewing the fireworks spectacle live, remember to bring your radio or tune in via your mobile devices to hear the full score on 1010 WINS AM or Z-100 FM.

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