Music

Like a warm, loving embrace from an old friend that bridges too long a gap, Billy Joel returned to the pop firmament on Thursday morning (Feb. 1) with his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years, “Turn the Lights Back On.” The title says it all, as the wistful, swaying piano ballad feels like the continuation of an intimate conversation the Piano Man has been having with his fans for nearly six decades.

“Nothing is different, we’ve been here before/ Pacing these halls, trying to talk/ Over the silence,” Joel, 74, sings in strong voice over his familiar, warm piano playing. “And pride sticks out its tongue/ Laughs at the portrait/ That we’ve become/ Stuck in a frame, unable to change,” he continues in lines that hint at grappling with accepting ourselves as we are.

The song was produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Freddy Wexler (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande) and written by Joel, Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector. Joel will perform the song live for the first time at Sunday’s (Feb. 4) 2024 Grammy Awards, which will air on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

“Turn the Lights Back On” is Joel’s first pop effort with lyrics since the release of 2007’s Sinatra-like ballad “All My Life,” which he wrote with his then-wife, Katie Lee; the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. Joel’s last album of all-new pop music was 1993’s River of Dreams.

The singer who has scored 33 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, teased that he was coming out of his long pop hibernation during a Dec. 19 show amid his historic Madison Square Garden residency. “I have good news. I have bad news. I’ll give you the bad news first. We don’t have anything new to play for you,” he told the crowd. “The good news is you don’t have to sit through something you have no idea what it is. Although we’ve got a little something we’ve been working on you might hear sometime.” 

The swooning chorus of “Lights” pays tribute to time’s inexorable march, with a suggestion of regret at waiting too long to say, or do, the things we meant to, as Joel sings, “I’m late, but I’m here right now/ Though I used to be romantic/ I forgot somehow/ Time can make you blind/ But I see you now/ As we’re laying in the darkness/ Did I wait too long?/ To turn the lights back on.”

At press time there was still no word on whether “Lights” is a one-off or the signal of Joel’s return to releasing pop albums. In 2014, Joel told the New Yorker that he felt he’d said it all. “Some people think it’s because I’m lazy or I’m just being contrary,” he said. “But, no, I think it’s just — I’ve had my say. If I put out an album now, it would probably sell pretty well, because of who I am, but that’s no reason to do it. I’d want it to be good.”

However, in an earlier 2007 interview with Billboard, Joel left the door a bit more open. “I’m not ruling out the possibility of writing songs again,” he said a few months after the release of the “All My Life” single. “I suppose if I had the motivation to write a song, I’m not gonna stop myself from doing it. I just haven’t felt the compulsion to write songs in pop form. I guess these days I just think of myself as a composer.” His most recent album was a collection of his classical works, Fantasies & Delusions, which was released on Sony Classical in 2001.

While he has not released new pop albums, Joel has continued to perform his beloved hits on the road, which he will hit this spring and summer with old friend Stevie Nicks for a run of U.S. stadium shows.

Watch the lyric video for Joel’s “Turn the Lights Back On” below.

On Wednesday night (Jan. 31), Justin Timberlake spent his 43rd birthday doing what he loves most: performing. After enjoying his festive homecoming in Memphis last week, the singer headed to New York City’s Irving Plaza for his second One Night Only show. 

Zealous fans worldwide, including London, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, came in droves to see the venerable pop star strut across the stage in his “Suit & Tie” while slinging hit after hit like a Verzuz battle. Despite the nippy temperatures, some fans camped outside as early as 5 A.M., waiting to get inside the venue. Many sported vintage NSYNC shirts pledging their allegiance to Justin and the ’90s boy band, while others held signs wishing the group’s leader a happy birthday. One, in particular, hoisted a cardboard sign that read, “It’s my birthday, too, and this was my only plan.” 

Thankfully, for that lucky fan, the birthday boy didn’t disappoint, leaving fans entranced by his 17-song performance alongside his band, The Tennessee Kids. 

Check out Billboard’s five best moments from Justin Timberlake’s One Night Only NYC show below. 

Standing on Business

The affable Timberlake didn’t ruminate about his past or go into detail about his comeback because the small talk was out the window for tonight’s festivities. Upon arrival, he took the audience to Sunday Service with an electric rendition of his new single, “Sanctified.” Sporting a grey suit with a flashy choker draped around his neck, JT and The Tennessee Kids quickly went to work.

Previously debuting during Timberlake’s SNL performance over the weekend, “Sanctified” oozed with soul as JT sang and danced like a man possessed. The Holy Ghost caught wind of The Tennessee Kids and JT’s backup singers, too, as the party of nine hurled themselves to the front of the stage, joining Timberlake in a cathartic song and dance sequence. 

Shortly after, JT shook off the church bug and quickly went to his bag of hits, giving a hearty serving of “Sexy Back” and “My Love.” With the crowd hanging onto every word, the birthday boy caught a case of the restless legs, gliding across the stage with verve, strutting his best moves while maintaining excellent breath control. 

Throwback Justin

JT darted past his Man of the Woods blunder and stayed true to his core essentials, which made it easier for his day ones to rally behind this evening. Whether he revisited his NSYNC days and gave fans a sliver of nostalgia with “Gone” and “Girlfriend” or took creative gambles meshing “Summer Love” with Clipse’s “Grindin’,” JT’s boundless attempts to win the crowd over was priceless. 

The nimble locomotive never once hit pause, jumping from the keyboard to the guitar. When JT revved his motor back to the Justified era, singing songs like “Like I Love You” and “Senorita,” you could sense his youthful aura from 2002, as he giddily grinned every time he caught a fan reciting his lyrics back to him. 

Even when JT’s band took an intermission, he jumped into the crowd and kept the party going, singing some of his most notable features like 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology” and Snoop Dogg’s “Signs.”

Gifts From Justin

Ahead of his performance, Timberlake’s team airdropped fans an unreleased record from his upcoming album Everything I Thought I Was on their phones to take home. In addition, during the halftime of his set, he treated attendees to a new form called “My Favorite Drug,” which had an upbeat groove and dance sensibilities, encouraging fans to not just “stand around” and move their bodies. Timberlake also treated fans with a performance of his new single “Selfish.”

Jessica Biel Surprises JT

Halfway through his performance, Jessica Biel surprised her husband when she came onstage with a cake. A jovial Timberlake hugged and kissed his wife to much of the crowd’s delight. Fans sang him a happy birthday, and he later blew out his candles after making a wish. Later, Timberlake returned the favor to his wifey when he pointed at her during the show’s final song, “Mirrors,” signaling his allegiance to her. 

Justin Pays Homage

As previously mentioned, Justin was on a mission to do it all. Though the night had a party element, there were moments when he slowed things down. He dished out two covers, including Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” and an ode to the city with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” JT’s vocal abilities made these renditions unique, especially after draining his energy dancing. Slowing down the tempo and delivering a how-to tutorial on covering songs added extra depth to Timberlake’s standout effort.