'New Year's Rockin Eve' news: Thousands of people endure the cold to witness the Ball Drop; Mariah Carey returns strong

Revelers gathered at the Times Square to see the Ball Drop and to welcome 2018. Reuters/ Darren Ornitz

Thousands of people braced the temperature of -12 degrees Celsius just to see the annual Ball Drop at the Big Apple to welcome 2018. Grammy Awards recipient Mariah Carey redeemed herself after last New Year's Eve mishap.

Most people who were at the area were bundled up in layers of clothing to protect them from the chilling cold. The most recent New Year's eve celebration in New York was recorded as the second coldest NYE in NYC. The coldest Ball Drop event in the Big Apple was back in 1917 when people had to endure a punishing temperature of 1 degree or -17 degrees Celsius.

New Year's Eve celebration at the Times Square Reuters/ Amr Alfiky

The number of people who went to Times Square in Manhattan for the Ball Drop this year is much lower compared to last year's estimate of over 2 million individuals. Revelers were amazed by the 11,875-pound ball being illuminated by over 30,000 LED lights.

People were also serenaded by some of the biggest names from the music industry. Camila Cabello, Nick Jonas, Leslie Grace, Andy Grammer, and more took the stage to perform for the crowd. Music legend Niel Diamond also wowed the people with a live performance of his hit song "Sweet Caroline."

Mariah Carey performing on stage during the New Year's Eve celebration in the Big Apple. Reuters/ Carlo Allegri

One artist did stand out among the rest. Songbird Mariah Carey stole the show with her performance of "Vision of Love" followed by "Hero." Carey's performance this year was flawless according to reports and nothing like her experience last year. Carey had a big malfunction issue during last year's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." The stumble in her time on stage resulted into backlash from the public.

Despite her impressive appearance at the event, some people still managed to roast the singer prior to a statement she said on stage. Halfway through her performance, Carey suddenly uttered, "They told me there would be tea. Oh, this is a disaster." Some netizens then poked fun about what Carey said. The singer, however, shook it off and even joined in on the fun herself. Carey tweeted a picture of her sipping on tea with the caption, "found my tea."

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