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A Manhattan jury is expected to hand down an imminent verdict in Ed Sheeran’s copyright trial.
The British singer-songwriter is currently being sued by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the songwriter who composed the 1973 slow jam classic “Let’s Get It On” with Marvin Gaye.
They have accused Sheeran’s 2014 song of copying the anthem’s harmonic progressions as well as melodic and rhythmic elements without permission.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2017, however, it’s taken six years to finally reach a Manhattan federal court.
Sheeran vehemently denies plagiarising “Let’s Get It On”. His lawyers have argued that the song uses common constructions found in many pop tracks.
Should the “Perfect” singer be found liable for copyright infringement, the trial will enter a second phase to determine how much he’ll owe in damages.
He reportedly told the court this week that, should he lose, he plans on quitting music.
Meanwhile, it’s been revealed that Sheeran will temporarily replace Katy Perry on American Idol as she performs at the coronaton concert in London this weekend.
Ed Sheeran reveals plans for posthumous album
Ed Sheeran has revealed his plans for a posthumous album.
The 32-year-old singer, who is set to release his last mathematical album Subtract (-) this week, said he’s been working on a secret album that will be released upon his death.
“I want to slowly make this album that is quote-unquote ‘perfect’ for the rest of my life, adding songs here and there,” Sheeran told the Rolling Stone. “And just have it in my will that after I die, it comes out.”
Read more:
Ed Sheeran: You have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss
Ed Sheeran has said his new single, Eyes Closed, is about “losing someone” and “feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them”.
The 32-year-old chart-topping singer recently spoke about suffering with his mental health after his wife was diagnosed with a tumour and his close friend Jamal Edwards died.
After originally writing Eyes Closed as a break-up track, Sheeran revisited the song after experiencing personal loss and discovered the lyrics took on “a whole new meaning”.
Read more:
Ed Sheeran review, Eyes Closed: Emotional, candid songwriting that hits home
“Singer-songwriter’s collaboration with The National’s Aaron Dessner distils some of his grief over late friend Jamal Edwards,” writes The Independent’s Roisin O’Connor in a four out of five-star review.
Ed Sheeran copyright trial: Everything you need to know about Marvin Gaye plagiarism case
Ed Sheeran has been making rounds to the court this week, where he’s defending himself against accusations that elements of one of his best-known tracks were stolen from Marvin Gaye’s 1973 slow jam classic “Let’s Get It On”.
The British artist, 32, has been sued by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the songwriter who composed the anthem with Gaye. They have alleged that Sheeran’s 2014 song “Thinking Out Loud” copied harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements from “Let’s Get It On” without permission.
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Ed Sheeran copyright trial verdict expected to come out this week
Sources close to Ed Sheeran told The Independent that they’re hoping for a verdict before the singer’s new album comes out on Friday (5 May).
Ed Sheeran surprises busker singing his song on subway platform
ICYMI: Ed Sheeran surprised a New York City busker who was singing his song on the platform of a subway station.
Ed Sheeran surprises busker singing his song on subway platform
Ed Sheeran surprised a New York City busker who was singing his song on the platform of a subway station. The “Bad Habits” singer walked up behind Mike Yung, who was singing Sheeran’s new hit “Eyes Closed” at Church Avenue station in Brooklyn. The 62-year-old went viral in 2016 when a video showing him performing “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers was viewed over 2 million times in 7 days. He then appeared on America’s Got Talent and released a studio album in 2018. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Listen to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ side-by-side to Marvin Gaye track
Listen to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ side-by-side to Marvin Gaye track
Listen to Ed Sheeran’s track, “Thinking Out Loud,” and Marvin Gaye’s song, “Let’s Get It On,” as the British singer appears in a New York court this week to defend himself against claims that he stole elements of the American hitmaker’s 1973 track and used them in his own song. Sheeran has been sued by the heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend, who composed the track with Gaye, who allege that he copied harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements. On Tuesday, 25 April, Sheeran testified that he and co-writer Amy Wadge composed “Thinking Out Loud” in a collaborative session. Sign up for our newsletters.
Ed Sheeran sings and plays guitar on witness stand in copyright trial
ICYMI: Jurors in New York were treated to a free Ed Sheeran concert on Thursday (27 April) in the singer’s ongoing plagiarism trial.
The British artist is being sued by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the songwriter who composed Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” with the legendary soul singer.
The plaintiffs allege that Sheeran’s 2014 song “Thinking Out Loud” copied harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements from “Let’s Get It On” without permission, which Sheeran denies.
To illustrate his point, the Grammy-winning singer played the basic chord progression of “Thinking Out Loud” while on the witness stand Thursday.
According to ABC News, Sheeran also briefly sang what he said were the song’s original lyrics: “I’m singing out now.”
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Other artists are cheering on Ed Sheeran amid copyright case
Ed Sheeran said he’s getting encouragement during his copyright trial from other performers who also worry that they’ll be sued as he battles claims that he stole material from Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” to make a new tune a decade ago.
The 32-year-old said he’s heard from other singers since the trial began last week because they share his worries about litigation resulting from their songwriting.
He didn’t identify any of them but said they were cheering him on.
“When you write songs, somebody comes after you,” Sheeran said.
Ed Sheeran releases visuals for new album Subtract
Subtract is the upcoming fifth studio album by Ed Sheeran. It is set to be released on 5 May through Asylum and Atlantic Records.
On Wednesday (3 May), the singer released new visuals for the album on Twitter.
“Tune into this on release day, Friday 5 May – Subtract the visual album will be premiered on @YouTube at 11 am ET / 4 pm BST,” the singer wrote. “If you’re a YouTube Premium user, join the Afterparty for some exclusive bonus content.”
