Ed Sheeran Announces Hiatus From Music

Ed Sheeran is on hiatus!

Ed announced to his audience Tuesday night at Chantry Park in Ipswich, England, that he is taking a break from music after two years of touring.

“There is something very bittersweet about it. I love that you guys are here and we are ending it in Ipswich. This is my last gig for probably 18 months,” said the singer, who will be dealing with legal battles over his music in the coming months.

The 28-year-old wrapped up his 260th show with his song “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.”

The “Divide” tour is officially the highest-grossing in musical history, and after touring 46 countries, 175 cities and playing 260 shows in the space of two years it seems only fair that Ed gets to take a break.

"Legal trouble"

The news comes about two weeks before his scheduled court date over allegations that he ripped off Marvin Gaye’s 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On” on his 2014 track “Thinking Out Loud.”

Structured Asset Sales, which owns partial copyrights to Gaye’s music – James Brown and David Bowie are among its other clients— is suing the singer for $100 million.

Furthermore, Sheeran was blocked from receiving royalties for his blockbuster “Shape of You” after accusations from musician Sam Chokri that he appropriated the music.

Chokri claims the catchy chorus was from his 2015 song “Oh Why,” which he sent to the performer’s team in a bid to work with the superstar.

The High Court of England is expected to hear the case in 2020.

"Angry neighbors"

In addition to Sheeran legal battles with his fellow artists, the singer has also angered neighbors over a massive pond he built on his English estate.

He got permits for based on its use as “wildlife preservation . . . providing a natural habitat for breeding and wetland invertebrates such as dragonflies and water beetles.”

However, the locals say that it is a swimming pool and that it supports nothing but the star’s own “wild lifestyle.”

The artist's Framlingham property, which has since been blocked from neighbors’ sights with 8-foot bales of hay, also features an on-site pub, a recording studio, and a four-room treehouse.

He shares the property with wife Cherry Seaborn, a 27-year-old accountant, who have known each other since childhood and were married last December.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Cherry Seaborn and Ed Sheeran[/caption]

The duo plans to enjoy the spoils of the tour, which totals  $736.7 million on their estate, according to Pollstar.

The singer-songwriter said on his YouTube channel in June, “I’ve already achieved more than I thought I would, so now I’m just trying to have fun.”

Nonetheless, he may soon be back in the spotlight “See you in a few years’ time,” he told the British crowd.