At his recent Sydney concert stop on the Loop Tour, Ed Sheeran offered fans more than just chart-topping hits and soaring vocals. Midway through his set at Accor Stadium, the British singer-songwriter paused to discuss one of the most challenging episodes of his career: a years-long copyright lawsuit that shadowed his work for much of the last decade.
The lawsuit, filed in 2015 and seeking up to $100 million, alleged that Sheeran’s 2014 ballad Thinking Out Loud borrowed from Marvin Gaye’s classic Let’s Get It On. After an eight-year legal struggle, a New York jury cleared Sheeran of those claims in 2023. On stage in Sydney, he candidly recounted how the case not only tested him professionally but shaped his personal habits.
One of the most striking revelations was that Sheeran hasn’t owned or used a mobile phone in years. Originally, he switched off his phone during his 2015 Australian tour and never turned it back on. He said the legal requirement to hand over all his devices prompted this long break from mobile use, and he now primarily relies on email. When he eventually powered up the old phone for the lawsuit, the experience was deeply emotional, transporting him back to moments and conversations from years past.
That poignant trip down memory lane became creative fuel. Sheeran debuted a new track called “Old Phone,” inspired by the experience, which is featured on his 2025 album Play. Alongside fan favorites like Shape of You and Castle on the Hill, the song offered concertgoers a glimpse into how personal highs and lows continue to shape his songwriting.
Sheeran also used the Sydney stage to express his longstanding affection for Australian audiences, noting that the country was among the earliest to embrace his music outside the UK. With more dates scheduled across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, the tour is set to continue that celebration of connection through music.