Billy Joel Releasing First Single In Nearly 20 Years — Expect Return To Classics

Billy Joel exploded onto the music scene in the ’70s and went on to become one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all time. Soon, Joel is going to be doing it all over again with his first new single in 17 years, and according to reviewers, it’s a return to his classic sound.

Joel’s official website announced on January 22 the impending release of the brand-new track, entitled “Turn The Lights Back On.” It has already been described as “a classic Billy Joel-style tune” that contains all the “hallmarks of his signature sound” while at the same time “ushering in the next chapter of his story.” Here’s what to expect and when.

Billy Joel has his first new single in over a decade

It's time to TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON. Brand new single coming February 1st. Pre-order here: https://t.co/Wtiyj8qJe3! pic.twitter.com/cN6BUh7gt5

— Billy Joel (@billyjoel) January 22, 2024

“Columbia Records announces the release of Billy Joel’s first new single in decades, “Turn The Lights Back On,” arriving on Thursday February 1, 2024,” his official website announced on Monday. Joel’s last single was “All My Life,” released in 2007, while his last full-length studio album, Fantasies & Delusions, was released even further back in 2001.

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Joel actually “initially alluded to the song on TikTok, following his debut on the platform,” notes his website. “Now, he delivers a classic Billy Joel-style tune, embodying the hallmarks of his signature sound and ushering in the next chapter of his story. In the lyrics, he asks, ‘Did I wait too long… to turn the lights back on?'”

Turning the lights back on

Joel first rocketed to national fame in the 1970s with “Piano Man” and kept the momentum going with chart-topping albums in the following decades. Joel became defined by his versatile musical style that blends rock, pop, and ballad influences. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street, to his name.

His extensive catalog includes timeless classics such as “Uptown Girl” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” the latter of which proves so enduring that it’s had topical updates to include global events of recent decades.

“You have to have the desire to write songs. I love music so I never stopped writing music,” mused Joel. Soon, fans will be treated to more of the music Joel so enjoys composing in a brand new single. Will you be listening?