“Turn the Lights Back On” will be released on February 1st

Columbia Records announces the release of Billy Joel’s first new single in decades, “Turn The Lights Back On,” arriving on Thursday, February 1st. It will be available on all DSPs and pressed on limited edition 7-inch vinyl. It will also be accompanied by a lyric video on his official YouTube channel. The song was produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Freddy Wexler and written by Wexler, Arthur Bacon, Wayne Hector, and Joel.

The six-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Kennedy Center honoree initially alluded to the song on TikTok, following his debut on the platform. 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?”

The song marks Joel’s first new pop song in 17 years followed by “All My Life” and “Christmas in Fallujah” in 2017. His last album of pop-rock songs was River of Dreams in 1993. His most recent album was in 2001 featuring classical compositions entitled Fantasies & Delusions.

Joel remains one of the most influential artists of all time and a generational storyteller without comparison. 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, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Moreover, 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,” “Uptown Girl,” and “We Didn’t Start The Fire” have resounded through eras, even enshrining him among the Top Artists on Spotify. Upon his 100th sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden, the state of New York (his home) declared July 18th “Billy Joel Day.”

New York’s quintessential son is one of the greatest musicians of our time. He began Madison Square Garden’s first-ever music franchise in January 2014 that continues to this day, performing one show at The Garden each month. Joel’s record-breaking residency will end in July 2024, a little more than 10 years after it first began, marking Joel’s 150th lifetime show, which have all sold out at the venue. Joel’s MSG shows have redefined the concept of residency. The scope and ambition of Joel’s residency, where he has played once a month at Madison Square Garden, is unprecedented.

Joel will perform his first concert in Japan in 16 years on January 24th at the Tokyo Dome for a one-night-only event, marking his 12th stop in the country since 1978.

Joel has also announced a string of stadium dates with Stevie Nicks and Sting, respectively. Solo dates and concerts with both artists are scheduled through the fall.

This summer, Joel will also perform his first-ever show in Cardiff and his only European performance in 2024. Joel will be performing a one-off show at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Friday, August 9th, joined by special guest Chris Isaak.

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