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The UK singer is currently being sued for his 2014 hit ‘Thinking Out Loud’…
Ed Sheeran, the English singer-songwriter who’s rise to fame has been defined by penning cheesy love songs for prepubescent teens, has been in hot water as of late for his highly-publicised lawsuit with Ed Townsend’s estate. The lawsuit in question alleges that ‘Thinking Out Loud’ infringes on the copyright of Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend’s 1973 hit, ‘Let’s Get It On’ due to the fact that they share the same chords and song structure.
The case has been widely criticised throughout the music world, with many artists fearing that it could be exploited in the future to target other songwriters. Sheeran’s legal team has argued as much, while affirming that any similarities between the two songs are unintentional and are merely a result of the frequent overlapping of song structures in popular music. However, it seems that the suit is now gaining momentum, so much so that Sheeran has issued a threat in the event that he ends up being found guilty.
Speaking in his recent testimony in a Manhattan court, where he discussed the impact the case has had on him both during and beyond the trial, Sheeran remarked, “If that happens, I’m done – I’m stopping,” while adding that it was “really insulting” to have his entire life’s work as a musician “diminished.”
It’s safe to say this would be music to the ears of plenty of music lovers who are tired of hearing Sheeran’s brand of pop dominating the airwaves. But in all seriousness, anyone who knows the first thing about music theory or chords know that this is a BS suit, and that the writer of literally any chart-topping pop song from the last 20 years would be at risk of being sued in the future. Still, if it means I don’t have to hear Ed Sheeran sing the phrase “Take me into your loving arms” a million more times before I die, I wouldn’t at all be mad. Check out a video of Sheeran playing ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Let’s Get It On’ above (along with the respective songs below), and decide for yourself whether the case has any merit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QZn9xiuOE
