November 11, 2020

Empire State Building & iHeart Radio Unwrap Carrie Underwood’s Christmas Album ‘My Gift’ For Annual Holiday Light Show

New York, NY (November 11, 2020)Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) and iHeartMedia today announced that the annual Empire State Building (ESB) holiday music-to-light show will feature Carrie Underwood’s new song “Hallelujah” with John Legend, from her first-ever Christmas album My Gift.

World-renowned lighting designer Marc Brickman choreographed the festive light show, which premieres on Saturday, December 19 and will be synced live each night at 8:00 p.m. through Friday, December 25 to a broadcast of the song on iHeartRadio’s Z100 and LiteFM. Viewers outside of the New York City area can tune in to watch the show live via Earthcam at https://www.esbnyc.com/earthcam-empire-state-building. A video of the entire show will also be posted on the Empire State Building’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/esbnyc) immediately following its debut on Saturday, December 19. 

“The Empire State Building’s lights are the icon of New York City’s night sky. Our light shows to music attract millions of eyes and hearts — none more popular than our annual holiday light show that has grown to become the anticipated and dazzling display of the holiday season,” said Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman, President, and CEO of ESRT. “ESB and iHeartMedia will  brighten the holidays in our great city and around the globe via our YouTube channel, remind the world that New York City is alive and kicking, and will be here to welcome back the world for excitement in person in years to come, and as we celebrate Carrie Underwood’s first holiday album with this amazing duet by Carrie and John Legend.”

“Hallelujah” is a new original track from Carrie Underwood’s debut holiday album My Gift, which released on September 25 and is available everywhere now. The Grammy Award-winning superstar joined forces with John Legend, to record the new track, which was written by Legend and Toby Gad. The 11-track album includes a mix of holiday classics and several new original tracks.

 “I’m honored to be able to join the Empire State Building for this wonderful tradition,” said Underwood.  “More than ever, it’s a time to embrace the hopefulness and joy of the holiday season, and to share that magic with people around the globe.”

“I am excited to have New York’s Christmas Station, 106.7 LITE FM be the home, once again, for this highly anticipated light show atop the Empire State Building with Carrie Underwood’s new song, “Hallelujah” with John Legend.  It’s a staple in our beautiful city skyline at Christmastime and we look forward to it each year,” says Chris Conley, Program Director 106.7 LITE FM

The ESB music-to-light show is the giant bow on top of the Empire State Building’s gift to New York City: the months-long holiday celebration featuring classic decorations and its world-famous tower lights. This year, ESB will unveil a special holiday window display with LEGO that showcases the Star Wars Holiday Special. For the first time, ESB will also give families and friends a chance to snap the perfect photo for their 2020-2021 holiday card. With the purchase of a premium ticket to the 102nd Floor Observatory, guests will have the opportunity to have a professional photo taken on the Grand Staircase with a festive display. And be sure to look up, New Yorkers! Throughout the holiday season, ESB will be spreading joy with another year of beloved themed light shows for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year’s Eve.

To contribute to the holiday excitement, use the hashtag #ESBUnwrapped on social media channels.

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About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna top), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The Empire State Building was named the world’s most popular travel destination in a study conducted by Uber and was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.comwww.facebook.com/empirestatebuildinghttps://twitter.com/empirestatebldgwww.instagram.com/empirestatebldg/

https://weibo.com/empirestatebuildingwww.youtube.com/esbnychttps://www.tiktok.com/@empirestatebldg or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the “World’s Most Famous Building.” ESRT is a leader in energy efficiency in the built environment and sustainability, and is the first commercial real estate portfolio in the U.S. to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating, an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all facility types, focused on operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder education to address a COVID-19 environment now and broader health and safety-related issues into the future.  The Company’s office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of  September 30, 2020, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.  

About Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, film, and now books, as a New York Times bestselling author.  She has sold more than 64 million records worldwide and has recorded 27 #1 singles, 14 of which she co-wrote, while continuing to sell out arena tours across North America and the UK.  Her 2018 release, Cry Pretty, is her seventh album to be certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, including her Greatest Hits: Decade #1.  On September 25 of this year, Carrie released her eighth album, My Gift, her first-ever Christmas album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Christian and Holiday charts in its first week and marked her eighth straight release to debut at #1 on the Billboard Country chart. My Gift also debuted #1 on the UK country chart (her fifth #1 on the chart) and #1 on the Canadian country chart. Additionally, HBO Max will stream an exclusive, all-new holiday special this December, with Carrie performing songs from My Gift with a live orchestra and choir.  The Max Original special will be executive produced by Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks for Playtone, along with Underwood.  She also starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour 2013 holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers, and she returns this Fall for her eighth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football.  Last November, she hosted the CMA Awards for the 12th consecutive year. Underwood has won over 100 major awards including 7 GRAMMY® Awards, 15 ACM Awards including three for Entertainer of the Year (the first female in history to win twice and, as of 2020, the only female ever to win three times), 22 CMT Music Awards where she continues to hold the record for the most award wins ever for the show, 7 CMA Awards, and 15 American Music Awards with her 7th win for Favorite Female Artist – Country and 6th win for Favorite Country Album for Cry Pretty, breaking the AMA record for Most Wins in the Favorite Country Album Category. Carrie is the most followed country artist on Instagram and most followed female country artist on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. She is is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and founder/lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood.  In March  2020, HarperCollins/Dey Street books published Carrie’s first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey, providing a common-sense approach to staying active, eating well, and looking as beautiful as you feel, 52 weeks a year.  That same month, Carrie also launched her new fitness app, fit52, which is a holistic wellness platform designed to encourage and support users on their personal wellness journey, and is available on the App Store and on Google Play.

About iHeartMedia New York

iHeartMedia New York owns and operates WHTZ-FM, WKTU-FM, WAXQ-FM, WWPR-FM, WLTW-FM, WOR-AM, WWRL-AM and is a part of iHeartMedia. iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month – and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company’s leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 850 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; through its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; other digital products and newsletters; and podcasts as the #1 commercial podcast publisher. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio product, using data from its massive consumer base. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

Media Contact:

Chris Bartels | United Entertainment Group (on behalf of the Empire State Building)

Chris.Bartels@uegworldwide.com