Ed Sheeran is currently facing a legal battle that might end his music career.
The ongoing copyright trial compares Sheeran’s 2014 Grammy-award winning hit “Thinking Out Loud”— last week, he subjected the courtroom to a performance of it — to Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On,” and alleges that the former features “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” that constitute a violation of Gaye’s copyright.
Sheeran shared during the trial that if he’s found guilty, he’ll give up music for good.
“If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” Sheeran testified on Monday. “I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.”
During questioning, Sheeran did admit that he believes it’s normal for pop songs to use similar chord progressions, citing examples like Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love” and Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.” It might not be the best defensive strategy, but he did point out that “most pop songs are built on building blocks that have been freely available for hundreds of years.”
However, the heirs of Gaye’s co-writer, Ed Townsend, have referenced live performances where Sheeran has segued directly between the two songs as evidence of their similarities. Attorney Benjamin Crump even went so far as to claim that the mashup itself constituted “a confession” to copying Gaye.
Despite these accusations, Sheeran has been firm in his defense and promises he would be “done” with music if he’s found guilty in the trial.
“If I’d done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be an idiot to stand on stage in front of 20,000 people [and do that],” the singer testified.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks.
