Ed Sheeran awkwardly tried to play his hit “Thinking Out Loud” in court to prove he didn’t plagiarize Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” But his impromptu performance seemed to hurt more than help his case.
Sheeran is on trial in Manhattan federal court, facing accusations that his 2014 Grammy-winning song “Thinking Out Loud” ripped off Gaye’s 1973 classic. Sheeran’s legal team asked him to demonstrate his songwriting process for the jury.
The British pop star brought his guitar into the courtroom and began strumming the familiar chords of “Thinking Out Loud.” But Sheeran knocked over the microphone at one point and admitted he’s “not the most talented guitarist.” His clumsy performance raised more questions than answers about his creative abilities.
Prosecutors also confronted Sheeran with footage of a live show where he mashed up “Thinking Out Loud” and “Let’s Get It On” — a move that seemed to undermine his whole argument. Sheeran claimed he only blended the songs together because “most pop songs resemble each other.” But his weak excuse appeared more like an admission of plagiarism to observers.
Sheeran argued that melodies just “come naturally” to him and he can write up to nine songs a day. But his collaborator, Amy Wadge, first came up with the chords for “Thinking Out Loud,” calling into question how much of the song was truly Sheeran’s work.
The lawsuit was filed by Ed Townsend’s daughter, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On.” She wants a cut of the profits from Sheeran’s hit to “defend her father’s legacy.”
Sheeran’s cringeworthy courtroom performance and flimsy explanations seem poised to hurt his case. His clumsy attempt to prove his talent and originality only raised more doubts about whether “Thinking Out Loud” was brazenly ripped off from a Motown classic. Sheeran may have to cough up a hefty settlement to make this embarrassing episode go away.
Leave a Reply