'Macy's 4th Of July Fireworks Spectacular' 2013: Everything You Need To Know [PHOTOS]

Macy's lit up the sky Thursday night, celebrating its 37th annual "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular" on NBC in honor of America's 237th birthday.

While the main event included more than 40 thousand fireworks, stars were on hand to celebrate the patriotic holiday. Musical artists including Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Usher and Tim McGraw were among those in attendance. The event was hosted by actor Nick Cannon, who shared his appreciation for taking part in the event.

"Macy's, thanks for letting me host the fireworks tonight on NBC," the comedian wrote on Twitter, also sharing a photo of himself among a large group of children sporting their best red, white and blue attire.

Carey, who performed the song "Hero," took to Twitter Thursday night to share her thoughts on her performance only days after being accused of lip-syncing at the BET Music Awards Sunday.

While Usher expressed his excitement in being chosen as Macy's curator for the celebration's playlist, his song choices received backlash from viewers. "Me curating, it's far more than me just showing up and allowing my name to be on a bill," Usher told the New York Daily News prior to the performance. "I wanted people to understand something more about me artistically," he said.

While the musician's song choices did include other artists including Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton and Frank Sinatra to name a few, three songs were noticeably performed by the curator himself. Tracks such as "Yeah!," "OMG" and "Eurphoria" all made their way into the 25-minute performance, according to a report from the Huffington Post.

"Usher, the music curator for fireworks, so far picks three Usher song," wrote viewer Peter Lauria on Twitter. "Usher, your music choice was horrible last night. You're selfish and self-centered," wrote viewer Mike Delpome. "You ruined the fireworks."