Ed Sheeran surprised fans with an impromptu performance in New York City after winning his Marvin Gaye copyright trial.
The Grammy winner stopped by the pop-up shop for his latest album — which was released Friday — in Soho, where he was greeted by hundreds of screaming fans.
Sheeran then whipped out his guitar, hopped on top of a nearby car and serenaded the crowd with some of his biggest hits — including “Thinking Out Loud,” which was at the center of his recent legal drama.
Many fans posted videos of the mini-concert to social media, showing Sheeran smiling as he quieted the crowd before performing over six songs.
The celebratory singalong came just one day after a jury found the “Perfect” singer not liable for ripping off Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” after just three hours of deliberation.
The decision came nearly four years after the estate of the late Ed Townsend, who was one of Gaye’s collaborators, claimed Sheeran “copied and exploited, without authorization or credit” the hit 1973 R&B song.
They argued that the singer replicated the song’s “melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bass line, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping” — and wanted $100 million for it.
However, Sheeran refuted their claims, arguing that the chord progression in question, 1-3-4-5, is common in pop songs.
After learning his fate, the 32-year-old shared a powerful message to his accusers, revealing he had to miss his late grandmother’s funeral to settle the dispute.
“We’ve spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies and four chords, which are also different and are used by songwriters every day, all over the world,” he said. “They are in a songwriter’s alphabet, our toolkit, and should be there for all of us to use. No one owns them or the way they’re played in the same way no one owns the color blue.”
He continued, “I’m just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggy bank for someone to shake. Having to be in New York for this trial has meant that I’ve missed being with my family at my grandmother’s funeral in Ireland and I will never get that time back.”
Sheeran concluded his message by thanking his family, co-writer Amy Wadge and the jury for protecting “the creative freedom of songwriters.”
Prior to this case, Sheeran was sued twice for allegedly copying another artist’s work. Both cases were settled out of court.
