Ed Sheeran’s single “Don’t” is his highest-charting song on the Hot 100 chart and reached a new peak this week, but instead of airing out some of that track’s bitterness at the MTV Europe Music Awards on Sunday night (Nov. 9), Sheeran performed his tender new single, “Thinking Out Loud,” at the 2014 EMAs.
Looking dapper in a vest and tie, Sheeran performed with an electric guitar and the all-too-rare backing band. The “Thinking Out Loud” showcase was highlighted by a pair of acrobatic dancers, who slithered over each other as the U.K. folk-pop star was crooning his heart out.
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While “Don’t” bumps up to No. 9 on this week’s Hot 100, “Thinking Out Loud” slips to No. 84 on the tally. Both tracks come from his sophomore album, x, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its release.
Other performers at this year’s EMAs, held at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, included Ariana Grande, U2 and host Nicki Minaj. Sheeran was nominated for Best Male, but lost out to Justin Bieber.