Ed Sheeran in “Shape of You,” 2017, creates a stripped down solo performance for his audience through the use of the loop pedal, which allows him to perform all parts of this song by himself and exemplifies how technology provides pop performers the potential for live creativity and further economic flexibility for future performers. The loop pedal creates a chance for artists usually constrained by the economics of touring to create a unique, complex, and authentic live performance without the high price. Sheeran demonstrated a new use of technology to enhance his performances’ sounds by simultaneously producing, controlling, and playing to the live crowd on his own. The loop pedal allows Sheeran to perform in a nuanced way that creates a different performance every time and allows for improvisation and live decision making, ultimately giving the artist room to be more creative. This site will use scholarly works on the history of the transformation of the one man band into the loop pedal, performance videos, and music periodicals to demonstrate how Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” popularized the loop pedal technology.
It is a new technology that was made popular through its use in “Shape of You,” and it will continue to allow other artists to create a customizable solo performance and allow for transparency on stage for how this performance is done. This website will identify the loop pedal technology, which dates back to 1953, and was created to individualize artists’ music, which has transformed from a one-man band into a high-tech object used on stage by artists. We will also identify how Sheeran specifically uses the loop pedal in his 2017 live performance of “Shape of You” by looping certain chords on the keyboard, as well as his voice to establish a backing track.
The history and transformation of the one-man band into the loop pedal technology is necessary for understanding how this technology will continue to grow and transform the live music industry for other artists. The loop pedal has had a large impact on American music performances and is a technology that has developed and transformed over the past couple of decades. As a result, many artists have begun to use this technology to develop their own music further and create a complex and transparent performance that allows the audience to see and hear each element of the song and how it is put together to create the final production.