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Ed Sheeran Ditched His Phone After Lawsuit, Now Only Uses Email

Ed Sheeran has revealed he stopped using a mobile phone entirely following a 2015 copyright infringement lawsuit over Marvin Gaye's music. The legal process required him to hand over his devices, leading him to switch off his phone on tour and never turn it back on. He now communicates exclusively via email, finding the experience of revisiting his old phone for the lawsuit profoundly disorienting. This period inspired his new track "Old Phone" from his upcoming 2025 album, illustrating his process of transforming difficult moments into music.

Key Points: Ed Sheeran Explains Why He No Longer Uses a Mobile Phone

  • Lawsuit prompted phone abandonment
  • Switched to email communication
  • Inspired new song 'Old Phone'
  • Phone felt like a "time machine"
  • Turns life events into music
3 min read

Ed Sheeran chooses to send emails over texts

Ed Sheeran reveals he stopped using a phone after a 2015 copyright lawsuit, now communicates only by email, and turned the experience into a new song.

"I find whenever anything negative happens, I write a song about it and it somehow makes sense of that bad thing. - Ed Sheeran"

Los Angeles, Feb 16

Ed Sheeran has shared the reason he ditched his mobile phone and how the decision went on to inspire one of his songs. The Grammy-winning singer also revealed that he has switched to sending emails to communicate instead of texts.

During his recent Loop Tour stop at Sydney's Accor Stadium, the 34-year-old singer opened up to fans about the fallout from his 2015 Marvin Gaye copyright lawsuit, which ended in his favour as the court ruled he did not copy Let's Get It On, stating that the legal battle changed the way he communicates forever.

He told the audience: "In the last 10 years, if you've seen my name in the news it might be related to a lawsuit. I got sued for a song by someone else who said I'd stolen their song, and the only thing I could do, because I hadn't done it, was take it to court and prove that I hadn't done it."

As part of the process, Sheeran was required to hand over his electronic devices so investigators could comb through messages and files, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He quipped: "All I'll say is that I'm glad there's nothing weird on them, you know."

Sheeran shared he hasn't owned a mobile phone since the lawsuit was filed, saying he originally switched it off during his 2015 Australian tour and never turned it back on.

He recalled: "I remember at the end of that tour thinking, 'I do not want to use a mobile phone again.' I moved to email and I've used email since then."

When the device was later requested as evidence, powering it up felt like stepping into a time capsule.

He continued: "I opened it again for this lawsuit and it was like going through a time machine right back to 2015 and even to 2007, when I first started texting on that number. It proper spun me out. I was frozen in time."

It ended up inspiring Old Phone, a track from his upcoming 2025 album Play, which Sheeran performed live for the stadium audience.

He explained that turning difficult moments into music has always been his way of processing life.

Sheeran said: "I find whenever anything negative happens, I write a song about it and it somehow makes sense of that bad thing. And it also works with something good that happens.. I write a song about it. Any song you hear of mine is basically like two‑minute extremities. Either I feel a lot of this or I feel a lot of this. I find when the bad days happen, good songs come from it."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Interesting perspective. In India, we're so used to WhatsApp and texts, but emails do feel more formal and permanent. Maybe it's a healthier way to communicate, less pressure for instant replies.
R
Rohit P
Turning a negative experience into a hit song is such a boss move. Typical artist mentality - find inspiration everywhere, even in a lawsuit. Can't wait to hear 'Old Phone'!
S
Sarah B
While I admire his resilience, I find it a bit impractical. For most of us, especially in fast-paced cities like Mumbai or Bangalore, being completely phone-free isn't an option. Emails are great, but they don't replace quick coordination.
K
Karthik V
The part about the phone being a "time capsule" is so relatable! Found my old Nokia recently and the texts from 2010 were a proper nostalgia trip. Shows how much our lives are stored in these devices.
M
Meera T
His point about writing songs to process emotions is beautiful. It's like our classical ragas - each expressing a different feeling (rasa). Art truly helps make sense of life's highs and lows.

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