(CNN)
It turned 2018 when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, and Gossip Cop has video of the Times Square countdown and ball drop. Watch below!
This year’s iconic crystal ball weighed nearly 12,000 pounds and was covered with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles. To ring in the next year, a new theme, “Gift Of Serenity,” was introduced with 288 panels installed on the ball designed to look like “intertwining butterflies.” Each panel varied in size and length, ranging from 4.75 inches to 5.75 inches per side. And with around 600 LED lights, the crystal ball was capable of showing more than 16 million vibrant patterns and colors.
For the ninth year in a row, the countdown event was sponsored by the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment. For the webcast, Andy Grammer and Lauren Alaina served as the musical headliners, performing live for the millions of people in Times Square and those watching from the comforts of their own homes. Grammer was tasked with leading a New Year’s tradition: Singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” just before the ball dropped at midnight. Earlier in the evening, he also performed his signature songs, such as “Honey, I’m Good.” Country star and “American Idol” runner-up Alaina sang her hit tracks “Road Less Traveled” and “What Ifs,” as well as a rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework.”
For the second year running, Jonathan Bennett hosted the webcast. He was joined on the stream by Allison Hagendorf, who returned for her sixth year as one of the Times Square New Year’s Eve emcees. And in what was a poignant moment, Tarana Burke, the woman who started the “Me Too” movement, pressed the button that kicked off the ball drop. The six-hour, commercial-free broadcast began at 5 p.m. Eastern with the ball raising. Of course, the most anticipated part was the actual 60-seconds of the ball dropping. Watch the video below of the ball drop over Times Square!