The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular has always had a heavy load to carry. But this summer, the weight may have reached record levels.

“Every year I say it’s hard to imagine us being more divided, and every year I’m proven wrong,” Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart told the Boston Herald. “But the point of a broad civic celebration like this is a reminder, as we forget in all the partisan bickering and serious reservations that people have about the direction this country is headed in right now, a reminder of what America historically is and ought to be.”

Everyone is invited to the Pops’ 51st year at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, which will air locally on WHDH-TV Channel 7 and nationally on the CW Network. Lockhart knows the annual July 4 concert can’t be for everyone.

Still, Lockhart believes the concert should be a big tent where people can celebrate ideals many — maybe most — Americans share. Digging into the program’s repertoire can illuminate some of those ideals.

“It’s possible to say a lot without directly politicizing the event,” he said. “(We can celebrate) people that go as far back as Irving Berlin, people who were immigrants or the products of immigrants, who made positive changes in this country that makes everybody think of them as iconic Americans.”

A Jewish Russian immigrant, Berlin wrote “God Bless America.”

Beyond the repertoire, each year Lockhart looks to build a guest list that’s unexpected yet emblematic of the concert’s goal. This year, the stars are LeAnn Rimes, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Bell Biv DeVoe.

“I think the combination of those three says a lot about the breadth and width of the American musical experience,” Lockhart said.

Yes, the singer of twang pop ballad “How Do I Live,” the star of “Hamilton,” and the hip hop act behind “Poison” are three mighty tent poles. And teaming each with the Pops highlights what makes the orchestra so great. On paper, the Pops and Bell Biv DeVoe make no sense. But Lockhart knows the pairing works.

In 2023, at the NHL’s Winter Classic at Fenway Park, Boston’s own Bell Biv DeVoe sang the National Anthem with the Pops.

“It actually worked and they were delightful,” Lockhart said. “They have such a great local following and an iconic stature with their New Edition connection, so we said, ‘Cool, let’s do it again.’ ”

Last but not least in Lockhart’s eyes, the Pops will also welcome U.S. Army Field Band Soldiers’ Chorus and Boston Children’s Chorus. These armed services and community connections are as important as any A-list guest.

“At the end of the day, it needs to be a patriotic concert that celebrates civic engagement,” he said. “One of the best ways to celebrate the contributions and the sacrifices of America’s men and women in uniform is to have an organization like this chorus join us, and plus, they’re a fantastic chorus.”

The balancing act isn’t easy. The load isn’t light. But the Pops continue to find a way to champion a broad range of American traditions, art forms, and ideals all at once.

For more information, visit bso.org/pops