Ed Sheeran says he always sings live and can’t mime due to his loop pedal setup. Ed Sheeran has called out a common yet controversial practice in the music industry—lip-syncing during live performances.
The Grammy-winning artist, who is currently touring Europe as part of his Mathematics Tour, recently made some candid revelations about fellow musicians who mime on stage but rarely own up to it. During a fun segment on a Beta Squad YouTube video, Sheeran was tasked with identifying voices of popular singers. While interacting with the participants, one contestant admitted that she would consider lip-syncing if her voice wasn’t up to par. Ed responded, “I don’t know if a professional singer would admit to miming.”
Another contestant followed up, saying, “I thought a lot of professional artists do that though?” To this, Ed Sheeran agreed but added, “They don’t admit to it though.”
When asked if he had ever lip-synced in his career, Sheeran clarified that he doesn’t have that luxury due to his unique performance style. “I can’t get away with it because it’s me with a loop pedal and a guitar,” he said. “But I would never cancel a show for my voice. I’d always push through, even if it was, like, slightly raspy.”
Sheeran doubled down on his point, stating, “I feel like if you are a professional singer, even if you do mime—because there are professional singers that mime, but they would never admit that they mime.”
The Shape of You singer has long been praised for his no-frills, raw stage presence, often relying solely on his vocals, guitar, and loop pedal to entertain massive stadium crowds. His honesty about the behind-the-scenes practices of the industry has sparked fresh conversations about the authenticity of live performances.
Currently, Ed Sheeran is continuing the European leg of his Mathematics Tour, which first kicked off in 2022. He is scheduled to perform next at Middenvijver Park in Antwerp, Belgium, on August 7.
