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Ed Sheeran Says Old Phone From Lawsuit Inspired Song at Sydney Show

A New York jury cleared him in 2023 in the 'Thinking Out Loud' case, which forced him to reactivate a long‑silent phone.

Overview

  • Performing to about 70,000 at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Feb. 14, Sheeran described powering on the device as a 'time machine' that sparked his track 'Old Phone' from his 2025 album Play.
  • He said legal discovery in the 2015 lawsuit required him to hand over electronic devices so investigators could review messages and files.
  • Sheeran told fans he stopped using a mobile after his 2015 Australian tour and has relied on email since then.
  • Turning the phone back on surfaced texts dating to 2007, including messages from friends who had died and relatives he had not spoken to for years.
  • He opened the Sydney leg of his Loop Tour with a hits-filled set and is slated for two more Sydney dates before continuing to Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.