Stella Lefty Faces Fourth Songwriting Similarity Claim

Stella Lefty is facing a fourth online accusation of musical similarity, this time concerning her song 'Misery.' The track from her 2025 EP Tragic, Really is being compared to 'A Million Dreams' from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman.

Comments on the YouTube upload for 'Misery' began noting the resemblance about a month ago, according to a report from Stereogum. The issue gained wider attention over the weekend due to viral social media posts. Listeners point to a specific section around the 32-second mark as being strikingly similar.

Previous Similarity Cases

This is not the first time Lefty's work has drawn such comparisons. Her breakout hit 'Boston' was previously accused of lifting its melody from Noah Kahan's 'Stick Season.' Kahan was later given a retroactive writing credit on the track.

Her song 'Summer You Were Mine' was noted for similarities to the Chicks' 'There's Your Trouble,' written by Tia Sillers and Mark Selby. Lefty's label, Atlantic, stated this was an approved interpolation and that the writers were initially omitted due to a 'streaming platform error.' They have since been credited.

A third song, 'Why Wouldn't We,' has been compared to Blake Shelton's 'I'll Name The Dogs.' The writers of that song-Ben Hayslip, Josh Thomson, and Matt Dragstrem-have not received credit on Lefty's track.

Credits and Collaborators

According to Spotify, 'Misery' was written by Stella Lefty alongside Madi Yanofsky and a producer named Phil Cook. The report specifies this is not the musician from Gayngs or Megafaun, but a different individual with the same name.

The writers of 'A Million Dreams'-Justin Paul, Benj Pasek, and arranger Rob Mathes-are not currently credited on 'Misery.' There has been no public statement from Lefty, her team, or the writers of 'A Million Dreams' regarding the new comparisons.

A Pattern in Pop

The report notes that accusations of musical similarity are not uncommon in pop music. It cites the example of Taylor Swift's album The Life Of A Showgirl, which faced multiple such claims, including one that its title track borrowed heavily from the Jonas Brothers' song 'Cool.'

However, the frequency of these incidents so early in Stella Lefty's career has led some online commentators to dub her 'Stella Thefty.' The phenomenon has continued beyond the initial four cases. An update to the Stereogum report notes that social media users are now suggesting her song 'seven eleven' sounds similar to Wheatus's 'Teenage Dirtbag.'