Lauren Alaina to Headline New Year’s Eve Special

This year, ring in the New Year right with a little bit of country music! Lauren Alaina will kick off the festivities on Fox's 'American Country New Year’s Eve Live' special, which will air at 11PM ET on Dec. 31.

Of course, the party won't stop until 2012, and the show will give a look at the celebrations coast-to-coast, more or less, as it will feature both the Vegas strip and New York's Times Square ball drop. 'Take a Back Road' crooner Rodney Atkins is due to perform in addition to Alaina, and more performers -- and a host for the event -- are expected to be announced before the big day.

This big New Year's event is a great way to induct Alaina into her professional country music career; the 'American Idol' runner-up will set out on her first big tour with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan soon after. Her trek on the 2012 My Kinda Party Tour launches on Jan. 20 in Greensville, S.C.