Song of the Week: Billy Joel’s Comeback “Turn the Lights Back On” Is a Divorced Dude Masterpiece
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The post Song of the Week: Billy Joel’s Comeback “Turn the Lights Back On” Is a Divorced Dude Masterpiece appeared first on Consequence.
With Song of the Week, Consequence highlights the latest and greatest new tunes. Find these new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Billy Joel returns as sharp as ever.
Billy Joel is not quite realistic about love; he’s the kind of hopeless romantic that gets divorced three times and married four. Judging by “Turn the Lights Back On,” Joel almost experienced a fourth divorce, but as his first new song in 17 years demonstrates, he’s lost none of his musical talent — and none of his belief that this time, at last, things will finally work out.
“Turn the Lights Back On” was co-written by Joel alongside Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon, and Wayne Hector. The melody is effortlessly sweet, even as the lyrics find Joel swallowing bile. “Please open the door,” he begins, before acknowledging, “Nothing is different, we’ve been here before.”
His belt-friendly hooks and plot-developing chops have long drawn comparisons to the world of musical theater, but those skills don’t just pop up on storytelling masterpieces like The Stranger. In the seemingly-personal “Turn the Lights Back On,” the narrator has to struggle through “Trying to talk over the silence/ And pride sticks out its tongue,” before he can say, “I was wrong.”
The recording is surprisingly raw. Never mind autotune — Joel allows his voice to wobble and occasionally brush against a wrong note, which only further highlights how nearly perfect the 74-year-old sounds. The soaring chorus, complete with a suggestive line sung “as we’re laying in the darkness,” might lead listeners to think reconciliation will be easy. But it gives way to a second verse that reveals the relationship to be even worse off than we thought: “Maybe you love me, maybe you don’t,” he sings, apparently moments after make-up sex failed to fix their problems. “You’ve had enough, but I won’t give up on you.”
The verses seem to know where this is going, but Joel keeps returning to that irresistible chorus — less the cynicism of the thrice-divorced dad and more the hope of a man who keeps walking down the aisle, who truly believes he’s found the one. The outro repurposes the chorus with a small, bitter twist, leaving the listener with the same question that will haunt the narrator:
Yes, I’m here right now
Looking for forgiveness
I can see as we’re laying in the darkness
Yeah, as we’re laying in the darkness
Did I wait too long
To turn the lights back on?
She might leave, and even the ageless voice of Billy Joel won’t be with us forever. But songs like “Turn the Lights Back On” are a reminder of why Joel’s music will be around long after the rest of us are gone.
— Wren Graves
Features Editor
Honorable Mentions
Ayra Starr – “Commas”
Melodic and string-laden, the latest release from Ayra Starr is nothing short of hypnotic. As an artist who prefers to describe her style as “Afrosoul,” Starr melds a strong beat with her warm, lower-register vocals, and the effect on “Commas” is as catchy as it is inviting. It’s no wonder the rising star has already accumulated over 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone; as Afrobeats continues to gain more mainstream trajectory, Starr is making sure she’s at the forefront of the conversation. — Mary Siroky
Bktherula – “CRAYON”
Ahead of her upcoming project, LVL5 P2, rapper Bktherula has unleashed “CRAYON,” a dizzying journey into distortion. Bktherula’s flow here is an anchor in the carefully constructed chaos; every word lands with precision. “‘CRAYON’ is a very calm way of me saying that it’s about to be my time,” the artist shared in a statement. That new collection of music is set to land on Friday, March 8th, and Bktherula certainly amped up anticipation with this drop. — M. Siroky
cruush — “Headspace”
Manchester indie outfit cruush have spent the last two-ish years slowly building a catalog of increasingly captivating, dreamy singles. Last year saw the quartet finally drop an EP, Wishful Thinker, and they’re wasting no time following it up with another, Nice Things Now, All The Time, due out April 12th. The project’s lead single, “Headspace,” showcases what makes the act so enthralling — syrupy melodies, deeply satisfying song structures, and shoegaze guitar tones that are too pretty to feel overbearing. Wrap it all up in a hazy bow, and you’ve got yourself quite a tune. — Jonah Krueger
Ducks Ltd. — “Heavy Bag”
“Heavy Bag,” the closing track to Ducks Ltd.’s upcoming album Harm’s Way, indeed feels like a goodbye. The contemplative acoustic guitar that drives the first leg of the song imbues the tune with a certain sense of nostalgia, not for any specific period of time, mind you, but simply the act of remembering itself. Soon, drums, strings, and more join the gentle lead melody, closing the track out the same way any quality coming-of-age film might — bittersweet, hopeful, and confident. — J. Krueger
Elsy Wameyo – “Sinner”
The haunting new single from Nairobi-born, Adelaide-based artist Elsy Wameyo plays with the power of contrast. Accompanied by a dazzling, cinematic music video that shows Wameyo alternating between contrite churchgoer and goddess, “Sinner” unfurls dramatically. “I laugh at the face of my agony/ I suppressed all my love for humanity,” she cries, pouring emotion into her storytelling. It makes sense that Wameyo opened for Genesis Owuzu recently; there’s so much originality to be found here. — M. Siroky
Softcult — “Shortest Fuse”
Shoegaze-adjacent band Softcult’s latest single, “Shortest Fuse,” is a blend of dreamy guitars and heavy drums. The vocals of the song are misty and tranquil in a way that juxtaposes the moody instrumental. However, these two different styles play well together. — Venus Rittenberg
The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter — “JESUS’ BLOOD NEVER FAILED ME YET”
Today, The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, formerly known as Lingua Ignota, released a compilation of songs from the sessions of her last studio album, SAVED!. While many of the songs on the compilation are clearly unfinished, and some are just straight-up mind-boggling (“TONGUES (EXTENDED)” is a confusing yet powerful listen), there are several gems scattered throughout the comp. The clearest of these is “JESUS’ BLOOD NEVER FAILED ME YET,” a heavy, piano-driven track fueled by Hayter’s signature, intense vocals. It’s a shame the song didn’t make it to the album, as it stands out as a highlight amongst this phase of her career, and is a must-listen for her fans. — V. Rittenberg
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Song of the Week: Billy Joel’s Comeback “Turn the Lights Back On” Is a Divorced Dude Masterpiece
Wren Graves and Consequence Staff
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