Billy Joel Says he Took 17 Years to Release New Music Because "It Wasn't Fun Anymore"

Billy Joel has recently shared the reasons behind the almost two-decade gap before unveiling his latest single, 'Turn The Lights Back On.' In a conversation with his co-writer Freddy Wexler, known for collaborating with artists like Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Kanye West and Selena Gomez, during the latest episode of 'Audacy Check In,', Joel candidly revealed that his hiatus from creating new music was due to a loss of passion.

The 'Piano Man' singer expressed to Wexler that writing new music had ceased to be enjoyable for a significant portion of the last 20 years. Reflecting on his earlier years in the industry, Joel reminisced about the fun associated with music, particularly the joy of rock 'n' roll.

Also Read: Billy Joel Unveils ‘Turn The Lights Back On,’ His First Solo Single in Nearly Two Decades

However, he admitted that this sense of fun had gradually diminished, prompting him to metaphorically "turn the lights off" on his creative process.

Joel confessed to Wexler that various attempts were made over the past 17 years by others to coax him back into the studio, but he consistently resisted. He explained that the act of songwriting had become a source of pain for him. Setting a high standard for himself, Joel found the process to be self-destructive, stating, "If I don’t reach that bar, I beat myself up and I hate myself." As a result, he deliberately avoided engaging in songwriting.

The turning point occurred when he heard Wexler's work two years ago. The melody, chords, chord progression and even the time signature resonated with Joel, reigniting his love for songwriting. He described the experience as everything falling into place, acknowledging the familiarity and connection he felt with the music.

Joel shared, "This particular lyric in this song, I’ve had these thoughts, I could have written these lyrics verbatim. I’ve chewed on these words and I’ve thought of these words, and I’ve said these words before. It was all kind of falling into place — and who am I to fight that?”