Billy Joel's Return: A Journey Through Time and Music

TLDRBilly Joel, after 30 years of silence, releases a new ballad accompanied by a groundbreaking AI-powered video. He discusses the inspiration behind the song and the technology used in the video.

Key insights

🎶Billy Joel's collaboration with songwriter Freddy Wexler marks his return to songwriting after a long hiatus.

📹The music video for the new song uses artificial intelligence to showcase Billy Joel at different stages of his career.

🎵The melody of the song caught Billy Joel's attention before the lyrics, highlighting his focus on music as a piano player.

🎥Despite his initial hesitation about music videos, Billy Joel was amazed by the AI-powered video's portrayal of his younger self.

🤖The use of AI in the video was a way to present the song's concept with multiple layers and characters, allowing Billy Joel to hide behind them.

Q&A

Why did Billy Joel stop making music for so long?

Billy Joel took a break from music after a successful career and wanted to focus on other aspects of his life, feeling that it was time to step back from songwriting and performing.

What made Billy Joel change his mind and start writing again?

Billy Joel's collaboration with Freddy Wexler, a songwriter who impressed him with his knowledge and passion, motivated him to consider writing and recording music once more.

What inspired the new song 'Turn the Lights Back On'?

The song 'Turn the Lights Back On' addresses Billy Joel's personal journey, reflecting on his own muse, songwriting career, and questioning whether he deserves a second chance.

How was the AI-powered music video created?

The video used deep learning and generative AI to analyze and synthesize Billy Joel's appearance and expressions at different ages. Actors triggered the AI models to seamlessly transition between different stages of his career.

Will we see more new music from Billy Joel in the future?

Billy Joel's future plans for creating new music are uncertain. After a long hiatus, he is open to exploring songwriting again but remains cautious about making any commitments.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Billy Joel breaks 30 years of silence with a new ballad accompanied by an AI-powered music video.

02:49Billy Joel discusses the inspiration behind the new song and the role of melody in his songwriting process.

08:30The groundbreaking music video uses artificial intelligence to showcase Billy Joel at different stages of his career.

11:45Billy Joel shares his initial hesitation about music videos and his amazement at seeing his younger self portrayed in the AI-powered video.

14:30The use of AI in the video allowed Billy Joel to present the song's concept with multiple layers and characters.