Martin Garrix & Ed Sheeran End 11 Year Wait With Official ‘Repeat It’ Release
For over a decade, the electronic music community has whispered about a ‘holy grail’ ID, a track so legendary that many assumed it would never see the light of day. Today, that mystery finally ends. To celebrate his 30th birthday, Martin Garrix has officially released ‘Repeat It’ featuring Ed Sheeran, bringing one of the longest running sagas in dance music to a triumphant close.
The history of this collaboration reads like a time capsule of the mid-2010s EDM boom. The track first took shape in 2014, born from a session where Garrix sent Sheeran a chord progression and received a pop-leaning vocal that pushed the producer outside of his comfort zone. Its public debut at Ultra Music Festival Miami 2015 remains one of the most iconic moments in the festival’s history. Known then as ‘Rewind Repeat It’, the track instantly became the most sought-after anthem in Garrix’s sets, yet year after year, it remained unreleased.
The reasons for the delay were a complex web of industry hurdles. Garrix has previously been open about the headaches involved, noting that the release was originally postponed because Sheeran’s side wanted to prioritise his own solo singles first. This created a frustrating stalemate where Garrix even stopped releasing his own radio records for months at a time while waiting for a window that never opened. The situation was further complicated by Garrix’s high-profile legal battle with his former label, Spinnin’ Records. Because the track was recorded under his old contract, the rights became tangled in the fallout of his departure, leading Garrix to state as recently as 2018 that he did not think the song would ever come out.
“To be announcing and releasing this single around my 30th birthday feels incredibly special.. honestly the best gift I could’ve wished for. We actually started this song 12 years ago in Nashville, and for the longest time I genuinely thought it would never be an official release. So to finally be here now feels really surreal, and I couldn’t be more excited for people to hear the new version,” says Garrix. “Working with Ed has been so much fun. He’s an incredible human, artist but also one of my dear friends from the industry. We’ve shared so many cool memories over the years. I’m really proud that we finally get to release this together, this song means a lot to both of us!”
Sheeran adds, “Me and Martin made Repeat It 12 years ago after we made friends on a night out in Amsterdam. He turns 30 today, and is putting out his debut album this year, so seemed like a better time than any to finally do it. I’d say every day fans leave comments under my posts asking where it is, so this one is for you guys. Happy Birthday Martin, and happy Repeat It day for everyone else. Enjoy the video, its clips from both our lives over the last 12 years”
The eventual release marks a monumental bridge between two global titans. In the time since the track was first teased, Garrix has evolved from a teenage prodigy into a definitive industry leader, while Sheeran has cemented himself as the biggest pop star on the planet. This is not just a single; it is a full-circle moment for the industry that proves the enduring power of a great melody.
While the version released today is a polished, 2026 update featuring production help from Mesto and Osrin, it appears Garrix is still acknowledging the track’s long evolution. Fans have noted that he seems to be teasing the existence of older versions, potentially referencing the original festival mix that defined his 2015 sets. After twelve years of fans playing low-quality rips on loop, it seems the Rewind era is finally over, and the era of ‘Repeat It’ has begun.
