A Viral Rise and a Contentious Hit
Stella Lefty's single "Boston" has become one of the most talked-about songs of the summer, holding at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week. The track, released in March, is her breakthrough hit, with nearly 300 million on-demand streams. It is kept from the top spot by Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," which some observers say paved the way for "Boston"'s ascent.
Lefty, born Stella Lefkofsky, is the 24-year-old daughter of billionaire Eric Lefkofsky, co-founder of Groupon and CEO of Tempus AI. She was raised in Glencoe, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and began posting videos of herself singing covers on TikTok while attending Tulane University in 2021. She was later signed by JKash, a writer and producer who owns Livelihood Music Company. In July, she released the EP "Tragic, Really," following the March release of "Boston."
The song's success has coincided with intense public scrutiny. Conversations about nepotism, originality, and TikTok's influence on the music industry have dominated online discourse, with Lefty often labeled a "nepo baby" on social media. The reaction has been so pronounced that some commentators have compared the backlash to previous cultural flashpoints, describing it as a "feeding frenzy" and a "pile-on."
The Noah Kahan Connection
At the center of the controversy is "Boston"'s chorus, which resembles Noah Kahan's hit "Stick Season." Noah Kahan was given a co-writer credit on "Boston" due to an interpolation of "Stick Season" on the chorus. According to reports, Kahan's representatives reached out over the similarities, and Lefty and her team agreed to add the credit.
Lefty addressed the situation in a Vanity Fair interview, saying, "When I was writing the song, I wasn't thinking about Noah Kahan. I was literally thinking about nothing at all." She also told Vanity Fair, "I don't want to step on anybody's toes, so I'm like, if this sounds like that, whatever, all good."
However, Lefty's past online activity has complicated her statements. She had posted covers of "Stick Season" and other Kahan content on TikTok, including around a dozen since-deleted covers of the Kahan track. Vulture noted that compilation videos of these covers have circulated on social media since her Vanity Fair comments, adding fuel to the debate over the song's originality.
Beyond 'Boston': Other Credits and Criticisms
Lefty has also given credit to the writers of the Dixie Chicks' "There's Your Trouble" for an interpolation in her song "Summer You Were Mine." Rolling Stone reported that the credit had accidentally been left off streaming services, though it had always been legally credited and intended, and the oversight was being rectified.
Some observers attribute the negative attention to Lefty's wealthy background, the resemblance to Kahan's song, and her handling of the situation, while also pointing to broader cultural factors like "eat the rich" sentiment and backlash to privilege. Despite the criticism, "Boston" remains a commercial success, and its appeal is often defended by those who argue it is a genuinely catchy and approachable song.
Chart Success Amid Controversy
The song's durability on the charts has been notable. It holds at No. 2, blocked from the top by Langley's record-breaking run. Lefty's rise has been described as quintessentially modern, propelled by a viral chorus video that spread across TikTok, and her story has become a lightning rod for debates about privilege and authenticity in country music.
As the summer continues, "Boston" shows no signs of fading, and Lefty's position as both a breakout star and a target of online criticism seems likely to persist.