The music legend took to the stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday to perform his first new single in over a decade
We didn’t start the fire — Billy Joel did with his smoking performance!
At Sunday’s 2024 Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Joel, 74, took the stage for a performance of “Turn the Lights Back On.”
The Piano Man of course took to a grand piano to play the new tune. Dressed in a leather jacket and sunglasses, the music icon was joined by a full band, including several horn and string players to round out the accompaniment.
His voice sounded strong as ever and he stunned with several moments showcasing his skills on the keys. Throughout the song, the stage increasingly lit up — coming out of near darkness to technicolor — to create an affecting moment paralleling the song’s lyrics, which in part finds Joel reflecting on his own legacy to his fans.
Following the performance, Joel received a warm response from the crowd, who all gave him a standing ovation as he smiled and gave a humble bow.
Before the five-time Grammy winner and 23-time nominee graced the stage, a video played featuring the legend, as well as “Turn the Lights Back On” co-writer Freddy Wexler. The songwriter, 37, explained how the song was two years in-the-making because he was “relentless” in getting the singer-songwriter back in the studio.
“The whole point of doing what I do was because it was so much fun to do when I first started. I kind of lost that after a while.” Joel said in the clip. “Freddy got me to find the joy in it again.”
The “Vienna” singer also closed out the ceremony with one last performance after the gramophone for album of the year was awarded to Taylor Swift, returning to the stage for a rocking rendition of his classic “You May Be Might.”
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