Ed Sheeran has had an eventful couple of weeks. The singer has recently been battling the estate of Marvin Gaye’s co-writer the late Ed Townsend. Sheeran was being sued for similarities between his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” and Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On.” However, throughout the case, Ed Sheeran and his defense team expressed the similarities were moot. His legal team stated that similar notes within the structure of the song are used in a multitude of songs we listen to all the time. Moreover, Sheeran even went as far as saying he would quit making music if found guilty.
Furthermore, the jury later deliberated and found Ed Sheeran not liable for copyright infringement. Thankfully the Division artist will continue to make music for our listening pleasure. Recently, Good Morning America caught up with Sheeran in an interview and he shared a few of his thoughts regarding the case. He revealed why he felt the jury’s decision went in his favor. Moreover, Sheeran said there were “101 songs with the same chord sequence, and that was just, like, scratching the surface.” The singer mentioned the jury, “was very quick to see that and be like, ‘Oh, yeah.’”
Ed Sheeran Sets The Record Straight
Although Ed Sheeran was being hyperbolic when saying it was over 100 songs with the same chord sequence to express a multitude, his point still reigned true. Since news of the lawsuit surfaced, Sheeran has swiftly and firmly denied all the allegations against him. Despite his song having similarities in chord progression and tempo, the singer was confident the jury would believe him. So much so he even performed “Thinking Out Loud” in a solo performance via acoustic guitar in the courtroom. It’s safe to say that, along with his testimony, helped sway the jury in his favor.
As if that wasn’t enough, the “Shape of You” singer even mashed his hit song with other similar sounding songs. When asked what prompted him to bring his guitar he said, “I’d been wanting to do it for ages since it came out, but you have to do due diligence in court.” Sheeran added, “So I just waited and knew that I would have my day to explain it and didn’t rush anything.” Meanwhile, a New York jury took no time at all (3 hours) to deliberate to reach a verdict in his favor. Outside the courtroom, Sheeran said, “These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before ‘Let’s Get It On’ was written and will be used to make music long after we are all gone.” For more music news tap into HNHH for the latest.