Let the world of music rejoice: Billy Joel has released a new song. Words I never thought would come out of my mouth again (or just in general…I was born in 2007).
Billy Joel is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, influencing multiple generations over multiple decades. His span of work is so vast that the band from the Catalina Wine Mixer can get away with playing only one decade of his music. He has 23 Grammy nominations (six wins), eleven certified platinum albums, forty-plus chart listed singles–the list goes on. Since his reign of success over the music industry from 1973 to 1993, Joel has expressed multiple times that he simply no longer feels the desire to release new music. Yet he decided to grace all of our ears with another tune a few months before he turns 75 with “Turn the Lights Back On”.
This wasn’t a case of fans waiting for an album to be released after years of waiting—Billy Joel fans know not to spend their time waiting for a new song–it’s been 31 years. No, this was a gift from a legend, an unexpected release from a veteran rockstar.
His return didn’t necessarily have to be great; when an artist comes back after over a quarter century of no music, nothing is guaranteed. “Turn the Lights Back On,” however, has been a resounding success. Between debuting high onto the Adult Contemporary Chart and performing at the Grammys, Joel is enjoying a return to the spotlight. With his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden coming to an end, one wouldn’t have been crazy to think Joel would fade out of music. Of course, now, any of those doubts have been erased.
No, this was a gift from a legend, an unexpected release from a veteran rockstar.
“Turn the Lights Back On” is a soulful, emotional ballad filled with feelings of nostalgia, driven by a voice which has aged like fine wine. When I say emotional, I mean it…my mom has cried at least three times listening to it. The song focuses on reviving a relationship and rekindling love.
Some have interpreted the lyrics to be between two lovers, while others think the lyrics represent Billy Joel himself and his relationship with music. I agree with the latter opinion, as I think he’s speaking on his love for music and his everlasting relationship with his fans. He “looks for forgiveness” after his 31-year song drought, wondering if it’s too late to return. I’m here to say that it’s not.
While we would’ve loved more content from him this century, we’ll take anything we can get from the living legend. Especially when the new content is this high of quality, with his piano mastery and vocals as good as ever. And trust me, he doesn’t rely on autotune like many of today’s artists—I’ve seen him live twice and he nails every note. Joel tickles the ivories like a pro, his piano solo sounding as if it could be off of his 70s albums like The Stranger or Piano Man, proving he’s still got it.
If you’re young and don’t know Billy Joel past “Piano Man,” either your parents or society have let you down. I hope this article inspires you to take a look into his epic catalog, and if it hasn’t, I still recommend giving him a good listen. It’s 2024; we’re losing a lot of our greatest music superstars, and you don’t want to miss Joel before he’s gone. The lights are on and shining bright, and we can all bask within their greatness.
(P.S. my mom cried again reading this article…yeah I know, it’s a lot of crying)
