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Billy Joel to Release First Single in 17 Years

By Charlie McCarthy | Tuesday, 23 January 2024 10:53 AM EST

Legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joel plans to release his first new single in 17 years.

"Turn the Lights Back On," Joel's first solo song since 2007 and just the second since 1993, is slated to be available on streaming services Feb. 1, Variety reported.

The song also will be released on limited edition 7-inch vinyl.

"It's time to TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON. Brand new single coming February 1st. Pre-order here: https://billyjoel.lnk.to/TTLBO!" Joel posted Monday on X with a short video promoting the new song.

The 28-second clip starts with the artist turning the page of a faded notebook featuring the handwritten lyrics from his 1993 song "Famous Last Words."

He's then seen sitting at his Steinway piano, playing a melancholy tune.

Joel, 74, co-wrote the new single with producer Freddy Wexler, who has worked on songs for artists spanning from Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez to Kanye West and Lil Wayne. Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector also contributed.

"[H]e delivers a classic Billy Joel-style tune, embodying the hallmarks of his signature sound and ushering in the next chapter of his story," according to a release on the singer's website.

"In the lyrics, he asks, 'Did I wait too long… to turn the lights back on?'"

Last month, Joel teased fans on TikTok by stating "we got a little something we're working on you might hear sometime."

This past weekend, the Spotify canvas that appears when listening to Joel's music had replaced the traditional cover art with an image bearing the statement, "Did I wait too long …"

Joel's last release was "All My Life," a one-off single in 2007.

Before that, he recorded three cover songs for 1997's "Greatest Hits Volume III." The songs included Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "Hey Girl" and Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love," the latter of which peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Joel last put out a pop record in 1993 with "River of Dreams."

In 2001, he released his last full-length release, "Fantasies & Delusions," a collection of classical compositions.

Joel, winner of five Grammy awards, was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 greatest songwriters ever.

He has performed residencies at New York City's Madison Square Garden, though he announced last summer that his appearances at the venue would end in July 2024.