When Billy Joel released a video for his new single, “Turn the Lights Back On,” on February 16, 2024, the “reveal” was that it uses groundbreaking technology to show the Piano Man “performing” the song during various stages of his career. The clip was directed by Warren Fu and Freddy Wexler. On March 6, Joel shared a behind-the-scenes clip. “Will you admit that any tiny piece of this is fun,” asks Wexler, who had doggedly tried to get an introduction to the star, about the video production process. “I hate making videos,” replies Joel with a smile. “It’s not my thing.” Nevertheless, the thrilling clip just the great, new song justice. Watch it and the behind-the-scenes clip below.
Eight days after Joel released the song—his first new pop recording in 17 years—the track made its concert debut at the legend’s monthly show at Madison Square Garden. (Scroll down to watch the live performance.) The stunning recording, which arrived at 7 a.m. ET on February 1, offers the classic rock legend’s rich vocal, along with beautiful orchestration. Joel, who turns 75 on May 9, wrote the song with GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and producer Wexler, Arthur Bacon, and Wayne Hector. It was produced by Wexler.
The six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inductee and Kennedy Center® honoree performed the song at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards on February 4. Six songs into his February 9 concert at MSG, Joel understatedly said, “We just put out a new record,” as the hometown audience erupted with a roar. “This is the first time I’m gonna play it live anywhere. We did do it at the Grammy Awards but that’s a TV audience. They were all very well dressed. Let’s see if this thing works.” Watch it below.
Joel initially alluded to the song on TikTok, following his debut on the platform. He has delivered a classic “Billy Joel-style tune,” embodying the hallmarks of his signature sound. In the lyrics, he asks, “Did I wait too long… to turn the lights back on?” His last new single was 2007’s “All My Life.”
The song is available for download in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
Watch Joel play the song at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 9
Joel seemed genuinely touched by the audience’s response. “Hey, you never know,” he shrugged.
Joel, who has a busy 2024 calendar, remains one of the most influential artists of all time and a generational storyteller. Beyond selling over 160 million albums around the world and emerging as “the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States,” he has garnered six GRAMMY® Awards out of 23 nominations. Among dozens of accolades, he earned induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame® in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® in 1999. He became the MusiCares “Person of the Year” in 2002 and received the Kennedy Center® Honors in 2013. Making history, his double-diamond Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II stands out as “the sixth most-certified album of all time.” Hits such as “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “We Didn’t Start The Fire” have resounded through eras. Upon his 100th sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden, the state of New York (his home) declared July 18 “Billy Joel Day.”
Joel’s albums have been released in recent vinyl collections here.
5 Comments
Hard to Believe that Billy Joel’s Last Single was “All My Life” in 2007… Now in 2024 and seventeen years have Passed Us by that Billy Joel would once again bestow his musical genius to his many Fans with the Song “Turn the Lights Back On”.. I love this Song Lyrically… Definitely Worth the Wait and Listening to the Musical Talents of ‘Billy Joel’ Once Again…
Yup. There is no denying that is definitely a Billy Joel song. And a damn good one at that. He still sounds great.
I’ve always loved Billy Joel’s storytelling and rock and roll tunes. There has never been doubt that he is one of the greats. I love you my man.
I heard it a couple of days ago on Sirius/XM’s Deep Tracks, and not only does Billy still sound really good, but the song ITSELF is a really good song. Most aging rockers from the ’70s and ’80s don’t pull that off with new material. Billy Joel did.
I saw Billy when he was first starting out, at a stage show in Chicago for a Birthday present, and he wasn’t the headliner, he was one of the warmup acts, the headliner were the Beach Boys. And they were a no show. That was my Thirteenth Birthday. And here he is 2024 doing another concert / song and my Birthday was yesterday and I turned Seventy one. Time flies when you’re having fun, Fifty Eight years later