America celebrated its independence yesterday, and there was no bigger party than the one in New York City. Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular aired on NBC last night and featured performances from Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Cher and Tim McGraw.

Carey headlined the show and kept things patriotic. Her performance of "Hero" from her 1993 album Music Box was preceded by a speech meant to inspire the United States.

"We come together in good times and bad. Hurricane Sandy, the tornado in Oklahoma and the bombing in Boston have all tested us recently, but we continue to open our hearts and help in extraordinary ways," she said. "As President Obama said earlier, today is a day to recognize what makes us proud to be Americans. This next song is a tribute to all the heroes who make us so proud."

The classic song sounded as good as ever, as Carey began with soft vocals, only to give the track more power by the end.

Carey also sang her latest single "#Beautiful" with R&B singer Miguel. The "Adorn" artists serenaded her while Carey sat on a hay bail. The duet was slightly stolen by Miguel, but both stars sounded in good form.

Carey wasn't the only one to perform. Taylor Swift dropped in from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas to give a fantastical performance of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" while on her Red tour.

She was also joined by tour mate Ed Sheeran for a version of their duet together "Everything Has Changed."

Selena Gomez performed her hit single "Come & Get It" as well as "Slow Down" from her upcoming album Stars Dance.

Cher's new single "Woman's World" was also given the Fourth of July treatment, with a strong blue backlit stage and upbeat performance.

And it wouldn't be an American celebration without a little country music. Tim McGraw gave Southern-style performances of his tracks "Southern Girl" and "Something Like That."

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