Key Takeaways
- Stella Lefty's songs have been compared to existing hits, leading to criticism.
- Her song 'Boston' shares similarities with Noah Kahan's 'Stick Season'.
- Another track, 'Misery', has been linked to 'A Million Dreams' from The Greatest Showman.
Breakout singer Stella Lefty has faced intense criticism over her songs sounding too similar to existing hits, according to Billboard. The controversy has sparked debate among music experts, who say such similarities are common in the industry.
The issue began when fans noticed that Noah Kahan had a songwriting credit on Lefty's hit 'Boston', due to its resemblance to his own megahit 'Stick Season'. Lefty later confirmed that Kahan's team had reached out, saying they 'think this sounds similar'.
Listeners also pointed out that 'Summer You Were Mine' from her debut album 'Long Way Home' bears a striking resemblance to 'There's Your Trouble', a Grammy-winning 1998 hit by The Chicks. Atlantic Records clarified that the original songwriters, Tia Sillers and Mark Selby, had always been credited, but their names had been left off Spotify and Apple due to a 'streaming platform error'.
Other songs, such as 'Why Wouldn't We', have been compared to Blake Shelton's country hit 'I'll Name The Dogs'. A track called 'Misery' has been linked to the song 'A Million Dreams' from the musical film 'The Greatest Showman', though no credits have been added to either of those songs.
Despite the similarities, representatives for Lefty declined to comment on the matter. Experts in the music industry say that while such similarities are common, they can easily turn into PR problems, especially for a rising star like Lefty.
The controversy has led to Lefty being dubbed 'Stella Thefty' by many on social media, where videos comparing the songs have gone viral. Critics argue that Lefty's denial of any connection to Kahan's song, saying she was 'literally thinking about nothing at all', did not help her case.
Music industry experts, however, caution that while similarities can be common, they are rarely done maliciously. Sometimes, an artist's team will notice possible overlaps early in the process, while other times, another artist or label will flag the issue. If the songs are close enough, the two sides can agree on a co-writing deal or an 'interpolation' – a license to re-use existing written music in a new recording.
Despite the criticism, Stella Lefty's meteoric rise continues, but the controversy has put a spotlight on the issue of song similarities in the music industry.
