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Best Celebrity New Year’s Eve Performances: Jennifer Lopez & More in Times Square

By:
December 31, 2025 1:58PM EST
Best Celebrity New Year's Eve Performances: Jennifer Lopez & More In Times Square
Eugene Gologursky

Performing during Times Square’s iconic New Year’s Eve ball-drop is a dream and through the years, the event has been host to many memorable moments.

Going out with a bang! Performing during Times Square’s iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop has long been a bucket-list moment for artists around the world. Over the years, the annual celebration has delivered countless unforgettable performances as musicians help millions ring in the new year from the heart of New York City.

From Jennifer Lopez to Mariah Carey, quite a few of pop music’s queens have graced the stages in the middle of New York City to help fans count down until the new year.

Click through to see more memorable moments from New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

1 of 22

Mariah Carey in 2017

Mariah Carey in 2017
MJ Photos/Shutterstock

Take the incomparable Mariah Carey. The star looks majestic as she takes the stage during the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop on Dec. 31, 2017. She dazzled wearing Yousef Al Jasmi but made quite the stir for her messy performance.

Mariah admitted to having problems hearing her backup vocals during a rendition of “Emotions” so she urged the crowd to sing along while she waited it out. Then, during her performance of “We Belong Together”, the beauty’s voice started to crack due to the bitter cold. She ended up walking off stage and ending her performance early.

Though some complained, Mariah took the criticism in stride. In her 2020 memoir, she would write, “Listen, if being in the cold can make your fingers go numb, imagine what it can do to delicate vocal cords!”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
2 of 22

Ashanti in 2021

Ashanti in 2021
Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

Ashanti was a total winter wonder during NYE 2021. She joined Ryan Seacrest and her old collaborator Ja Rule while rocking silver boots, a fur jacket, and snug, white minidress.

December 29, 2022, 10:30AM
3 of 22

Post Malone In 2019

Post Malone In 2019
Andrew Walker/Shutterstock

Post Malone brought total rockstar energy to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in 2019. His pink metallic suit was unforgettable.

December 29, 2022, 10:30AM
4 of 22

Keith Urban In 2019

Keith Urban In 2019
Stephanie Bragg/Shutterstock

Keith Urban lit up the stage during Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight New Year’s Eve celebration in Nashville, Tennessee in 2019. The crowd went wild while counting down with the country star.

December 29, 2022, 10:30AM
5 of 22

Ja Rule In 2021

Ja Rule In 2021
Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

Ja Rule was there for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on NYE 2021. He provided a retro touch with his tracks.

December 29, 2022, 10:31AM
6 of 22

Jennifer Lopez In 2020

Jennifer Lopez In 2020
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutters

Jennifer Lopez closed a crazy year performing in Times Square on Dec. 31, 2020. Because of COVID-19 pandemic no revelers were allowed to be on Times Square, only a few essential workers received special invitations and were seated inside socially distanced pods.

During her performance Jennifer paid tribute to those lost, saying, “2020 is almost over. We made it. We made it. If this year taught us anything, it taught us to be grateful for what we do have — to cherish every moment. We lost too many. Too many.”

Keeping spirits bright, J. Lo went on, “Tonight we’re going to live, we’re going to love and we’re going to dance again. And we’re going to keep on dreaming.” She went on, “Twenty years ago, I sang this song, and we never needed it more than tonight,” before singing “Waiting for Tonight”.

December 30, 2021, 7:31PM
7 of 22

Jonas Brothers In 2019

Jonas Brothers In 2019
Michele Eve Sandberg/Shutterstoc

Terrific trio! The Jonas Brothers — Nick, Joe, and Kevin — rock the house poolside at Miami’s Fontainebleau hotel on Dec. 31, 2019. They sang their hits “Year 3000”, “Only Human”, and “Sucker”, along with others.

The Jonas Brothers invited their wives onstage for midnight kisses and champagne. Nick’s wife Priyanka Chopra, Joe’s wife Sophie Turner, and Kevin’s wife Danielle Jonas were all smiles as they joined the festivities.

“Before we ring in this new year, and we get overly sentimental, let me just say thank you to each and every one of you for coming out and being here with us tonight at the Fontainebleau,” Nick told the crowd.

“This is an absolutely incredible memory we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives, and a perfect way to ring in the New Year with a couple thousand of Miami’s best. Now, if it’s all right with you, we’re going to bring some people out that are very meaningful to us that we want to spend it with.”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
8 of 22

Carrie Underwood In 2015

Carrie Underwood In 2015
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterst

Carrie Underwood dazzles in a teal suit as she performs at the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration in New York on Dec. 31, 2015. She performed a medley of her hit “Heartbreak”, “Smoke Break”, and “Before He Cheats”.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
9 of 22

Taylor Swift In 2014

Taylor Swift In 2014
Ted Shaffrey/AP/Shutterstock

Taylor Swift is the center of attention during New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York’s Times Square on Dec. 31, 2014. She wowed in a sparkly bustier and pants with racing stripes while singing her hits “Welcome to New York” and “Shake It Off” for the excited crowd.

She told the audience to let loose, saying, “I know that in 2014 you may have some things that irritated you, things that really got under your skin, somebody said something that really bothered you. Right now is the time, New York City. I want to see you shake, it, off!”

There was a minor mishap when Taylor tripped while leaving the stage, but she barely missed a beat before getting up and moving on.

December 30, 2021, 5:37PM
10 of 22

One Direction In 2014

One Direction In 2014
Shutterstock

One Direction charms as they perform at ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ on Dec. 31, 2014.

The beloved boyband performed “Steal My Girl”, “Story of My Life”, “Night Changes”, “Little Things,” and “What Makes You Beautiful”. The crowd went wild for bandmates Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles.

Before the ball dropped Harry tweeted, “Be nice to everyone and do it five minutes early. Hope everyone has a lovely new year. Thank you for an amazing 2014. All the love.”

December 30, 2021, 5:37PM
11 of 22

Carrie Underwood Performs In 2015

Carrie Underwood Performs In 2015
Ted Shaffrey/AP/Shutterstock

Carrie Underwood bundles up as she takes the stage on Dec. 31, 2015. She looked great while fending off the chill.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
12 of 22

Nick Jonas In 2017

Nick Jonas In 2017
John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Nick Jonas serenades the audience at Times Square on New Year’s Eve in New York City on Dec. 31, 2017. Though he was performing solo — singing songs “Jealous” and “Levels” — his famous brothers were backstage to celebrate with him.

“They’ll actually be here tonight,” he told Billboard at the time. “They’re not performing, but they’re gonna hang out. It’s nice that we get to spend it all together.”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
13 of 22

Miley Cyrus In 2013

Miley Cyrus In 2013
Shutterstock

Miley Cyrus always makes things fun on New Year’s Eve. She brought down the house while glittering in gold on Dec. 31, 2013. The star performed her hits “Get It Right” and “Wrecking Ball”, and while onstage, she joked about how the New York cold was cramping her typically sexy style.

“This is the most clothes I’ve been in in 2013,” Miley laughed. “Because of the cold weather and standards and practices, this is what we came up with.”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
14 of 22

Ariana Grande In 2013

Ariana Grande In 2013
Shutterstock

Ariana Grande looked space-age while watching the ball drop from the West Coast in LA on Dec 31. 2013. She performed “Right There” with Big Sean and “The Way” with Mac Miller, both of whom she was romantically involved with. 

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
15 of 22

Demi Lovato In 2015

Demi Lovato In 2015
Shutterstock

Demi Lovato wraps themself in faux fur while performing during the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square in New York on Dec. 31, 2015. Demi’s hits “Cool for the Summer” and “Confident” got the crowd going.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
16 of 22

Justin Bieber In 2011

Justin Bieber In 2011
Shutterstock

Justin Bieber gets behind the piano to perform “Let It Be” ahead of the ball drop in New York’s Times Square on Dec. 31, 2011. Guitar great Carlos Santana played with him during the performance.

Before singing, Biebs told the audience, “New York City! I’m so happy to be here to bring in this New Year with you guys. New York, with all you’ve been through, your spirit’s never been broken. We all do the best we can each year… And what will be, will be.”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
17 of 22

Rihanna In 2006

Rihanna In 2006
ABC

Rihanna performs “SOS” on Dec. 31, 2006. The international superstar-turned-business mogul was just making a name for herself back then.

December 30, 2021, 5:37PM
18 of 22

Charlie Puth & Wiz Khalifa In 2015

Charlie Puth & Wiz Khalifa In 2015
ABC

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth team up to sing their hit “See You Again” on Dec. 31, 2015. The emotional performance was in tribute to the late Paul Walker of ‘The Fast & The Furious’ series.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
19 of 22

Jennifer Lopez In 2009

Jennifer Lopez In 2009
Peter Foley/EPA/Shutterstock

Jennifer Lopez takes the stage at New York’s Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2009. A gaggle of dancers carrier the stunner as she sang “Louboutins”, “Waiting For Tonight”, and “Let’s Get Loud”.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
20 of 22

Luke Bryan In 2015

Luke Bryan In 2015
ABC

Luke Bryan performed “Move” and “That’s My Kind of Night” on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2015.

He told Billboard how excited he was after the performance, saying, “This is my kind of night. It was awesome. I never would have imagined I would have had the opportunity to play here so definitely a bucket list experience.”

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
21 of 22

Nicki Minaj In 2010

Nicki Minaj In 2010
ABC

Nicki Minaj performs for New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 2010. The rap goddess performed “Super Bass”, “Roman In Moscow”, and “Turn Me On”.

December 30, 2021, 5:36PM
22 of 22

Mariah Carey In 2005

Mariah Carey In 2005
Sipa/Shutterstock

Mariah Carey looks ready to go on Dec. 31, 2005. She was bundled up in an elegant white coat ahead of her performance, which was the first live performance by an artist for the Times Square ball drop.

December 31, 2021, 9:09AM