What to Expect from 'New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'

— -- It just wouldn't be December 31 without turning on ABC to watch "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," checking out the star-studded lineup of musical acts, and watching Seacrest freeze his tail off as he counts down to the New Year from New York City's Times Square.

This year, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, Seacrest will be joined live in Times Square by Idina Menzel, MAGIC!, Florida Georgia Line and one Taylor Swift, who Seacrest says, truly symbolizes the spirit of the legendary telecast.

"We are very lucky to have Taylor on New Year's Rockin' Eve this year," he told ABC News. "She has had a record-breaking year, as we all know, and she deserves it. She's such a hard worker, she's so talented, and she's the perfect person to symbolize what it is this show is all about: celebrating what was big in music and pop culture in the year."

In addition to Swift, viewers will see no less than 38 musical performances tonight, from artists in several different musical genres, and from different countries, too.

"We try and look back and take a look at what was popular, what people listened to, who they watched, what they downloaded in the year, and that's how we come up with the list," Seacrest explained.

In the Hollywood Party portion of the show, hosted by Fergie, viewers will see One Direction, Train, Meghan Trainor, Nico & Vinz, Nick Jonas, Iggy Azalea, Jason Derulo, British bands Rixton and Bastille, British singers Charli XCX and Ella Henderson, a cappella vocal group Pentatonix, country star Brantley Gilbert and Fergie herself.

"Oh my gosh, it hasn't happened in years. And I'm just very, very excited," said Fergie of actually singing on the show, instead of just introducing other acts. "There's something special about performing on New Year's Rockin' Eve, because it's in everyone else's living room, and I remember as a little girl watching that show. So... it becomes part of the memory of that year."

In addition, Gavin DeGraw and Lady Antebellum will perform from Nashville, and Elton John will be seen performing remotely from his show in Brooklyn, New York. On average, each act will do two songs, with a few exceptions.

As for Seacrest, he'll be holding down the fort in Times Square with help from co-host Jenny McCarthy, counting down to 2015 and trying to stay warm. Seacrest added that his mentor, the late Dick Clark, who launched the show more than 40 years ago, used to tell him that he hadn't really made his bones unless he was shivering in the cold.

"I remember Dick used to always wish very, very cold weather on me outside, so I would earn my stripes," he said with a laugh. "He would say, 'Young man, you haven't frozen yet. I hope it's really cold, not because I don't like you, just because you got to earn this gig.'"

He's definitely earned it by now.

"It's gotten down to be pretty cold: so cold before that you actually cannot tell if your jaw is moving or not," he said. "You know that your brain is saying words, but you don't know if your jaw is actually moving to keep up with those words."

When asked to reveal the best advice that Clark, who passed away in 2012, ever gave him, Seacrest didn't hesitate.

"'Make it look easy,' he used to tell me," he said. "'Get out there and do your thing and stay out of the way and try to make it look like anybody could do that gig.'"