Billy Joel Delights Fans With Debut Performance of His First New Song in 17 Years on the Grammys Stage

Billy Joel

Billy Joel graced the stage at the 2024 Grammy Awards, and his touching performance was surely one to remember.

The legendary musician played the award show audience his brand new song “Turn the Lights Back On,” the first original track he’s released in 17 years.

Joel, 74, performed the love ballad—which dropped just days prior on Thursday, Feb. 1—on the piano, tugging on fans’ heartstrings with the sentimental tune.

The song marks Joel’s first new material since 2007, when he released “All My Life” and “Christmas in Fallujah,” both sung by Cass Dillon.

Shortly after the release of his 1993 studio album River of Dreams, Joel retired from songwriting, a decision he made because, “I couldn’t be as good as I wanted and that was driving me crazy,” he told Vulture in 2018.

“I thought, ‘This is ridiculous.’ So I stopped,” he added at the time.

But now, over 30 years since that album came out, Joel has released a brand new track that contains a special message to his loyal fans who have long waited for more of his original work.

“I’m late, but I’m here right now and I’m trying to find the magic that we lost somehow,” he sings in the song’s chorus. “Maybe I was blind, but I see you now as we’re laying here in the darkness. Did I wait too long to turn the lights back on?”

Fans watching the Grammys clearly thought it wasn’t too late for Joel, as tons of people sang his praises online after the emotional performance.

“This is a hell of a song from Billy Joel,” one user wrote, as another echoed, “I’m all in on new Billy Joel and i don’t even care.”

Someone else called it a “beautiful comeback song,” as a fan exclaimed that they enjoyed that the “new” music sounded like his old stuff.

As host Trevor Noah noted, the wait was truly worth it as the piano man closed out the 66th Annual Grammy Awards—which included Joni Mitchell, U2, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Travis Scott and Burna Boy—with a second electrifying performance.

Next: The Complete List of 2024 Grammys Winners and Nominees