The plagiarism case over 'Shape of You' has divided music experts. But this industry has always thrived on the sharing of ideas.
That fact was recently pointed out by no less a figure than Elvis Costello after it was suggested Olivia Rodrigo’s “Brutal” pinched the riff from his 1978 single “Pump It Up”. “It’s how rock & roll works,” he wrote. Ed Sheeran’s detractors – and there are many – might argue that they’d rather spend eternity in silence than hear another note from the Suffolk serenader. Rock and pop have always been in dialogue with their past. Plagiarism has been a spectre stalking music for decades, of course. This was supposed to be the year Ed Sheeran triumphantly reasserted his position as biggest pop star on the planet. The implications of the case currently before the High Court go far beyond ginger troubadours with boy-next-door appeal.
Their barrister, Ian Mill QC, also described the High Court dispute over their 2017 song as “terribly, terribly unfortunate” at a hearing in London on Monday. “ ...
In his written arguments, Mr Mill said Mr Chokri and Mr O’Donoghue’s case “amounts to a series of tenuous connections and bare assertions contradicted by the contemporaneous documents and the unequivocal evidence of a significant number of relevant witnesses”. In his written arguments, Mr Mill claimed that Mr Chokri and Mr O’Donoghue’s case that Oh Why was allegedly consciously copied was “so strained as to be logically unintelligible”. Mr Mill also rejected suggestions that Mr Sheeran and Mr Chokri had “overlapping circles” of artists, writers and producers in common and that there had been a “concerted plan” to bring Oh Why to Mr Sheeran’s attention.
An Ed Sheeran song inspired the track that he is now accused of ripping off, a copyright trial has been told.The cover of the American folk standard Wayfar.
It looks as though Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello may have an opportunity to perform their new duet, "Bam Bam," live on stage next week.
Tickets for the concert at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham go on sale tomorrow. Other acts on the bill include “Next to Me” singer Emeli Sandé and the band Snow Patrol, which features Ed’s bestie and frequent collaborator, Johnny McDaid. More artists will be announced in the coming days. Both stars have been announced as performers at Concert for Ukraine, a two-hour fundraising event taking place in Birmingham, England on March 29 and airing on Britain’s ITV. Proceeds will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Snow Patrol and more will perform for ITV's televised 'Concert For Ukraine' fundraiser.
“I will be singing to try to help every innocent human being forced to flee their home and in solidarity with those being racially discriminated against even within this humanitarian crisis,” said Sandé in a statement. The live two-hour special will raise funds for humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine, who have been under relentless attack by Russian forces since Vladimir Putin started a war with the former Soviet satellite country nearly three weeks ago. Tickets for the event are available here.
Snow Patrol and Gregory Porter will also perform at the televised fundraiser, with more performers still to be announced.
Global radio stations Heart and Capitol will broadcast the concert live and offer exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage. An estimated 1.85 million Ukrainians have been displaced since Russia invaded the country four weeks ago. Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and Snow Patrol will perform at the televised Concert for Ukraine, to be broadcast by ITV and STV.
"My heart is breaking for the people of Ukraine," Camila Cabello said in a statement confirming her performance at Concert For Ukraine.
"As refugees from Ukraine join millions of other displaced people around the globe, we all have a responsibility. "My heart is breaking for the people of Ukraine," she said. "My heart is breaking for the people of Ukraine," Camila Cabello said in a statement confirming her performance at Concert For Ukraine. "As refugees from Ukraine join millions of other displaced people around the globe, we all have a responsibility."
Ed Sheeran has teased footage of him performing new music with J Balvin and announced that the pair are set to release two songs.
I recognised his voice when he was on the phone so I just went up and said hi… I recognised his voice when he was on the phone so I just went up and said hi. I met @jbalvin in a gym in New York last year,” Sheeran wrote on Twitter. “It was just me and him very early in the morning.
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To donate £10 text ‘CRISIS’ to 70150. “As refugees from Ukraine join millions of other displaced people around the globe, we all have a responsibility. All sponsorship and advertising revenue generated from the broadcast – estimated to be more than £3 million – will be donated by ITV to the DEC appeal.
Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran, Gregory Porter and Snow Patrol will all take part in the fundraiser.
Zholob also works as an orthopaedic doctor, and is treating war victims and soldiers. We hope this song shows Ukrainians' spirit and our defiance to Russian aggression." This time they've changed guitars to guns. "Nobody should be refused access to relief, aid and the right to cross the border to safety, and I'm pleased for the chance to support the DEC's appeal to help all people whose lives have been affected by the conflict." ITV has also pledged that all sponsorship and advertising revenue generated from the broadcast - an estimated £3m - will be donated to the appeal. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian appeal, which is providing food, water, shelter and medical assistance to refugees in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.