Emma Bono ’30
Staff Writer
Over the past few weeks, there has been lots of discourse about an up-and-coming artist named Stella Lefty, and her song “Boston.” Sharp-eared TikTok users noticed that this tune’s chorus sounds extremely familiar to Noah Kahan’s hit song “Stick Season,” resulting in Kahan getting a writer’s credit on the track. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lefty claimed that she was not even thinking about “Stick Season” or Noah Kahan, though users found several TikToks of Lefty covering the song.
After this, TikTok users continued to dive into Lefty’s discography and labeled five songs as blatantly interpolating or ripping off other songs with no credit or acknowledgment, including “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheetus, and “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman.
But that’s not the only thing that listeners are angry about. Stella Lefty, whose full name is Stella Lefkosky, is actually the daughter of Groupon cofounder, Tempus AI CEO, and billionaire Eric Lefkofsky. After this, allegations of nepotism started. However, some argue that she shouldn’t be considered a nepo baby, as her father isn’t involved in the music industry. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if your parents aren’t involved in a certain industry—if your parents are filthy rich, you’re a nepo baby.
A similar example of more successful nepotism is Clairo. This indie darling’s father, Geoff Cottrill, has held high positions in brands like Topgolf, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks. While his exact net worth is unknown, it’s safe to assume that it is high. It would not be crazy to assume that being so high up in the big corporate world means that he has connections and possibly used these connections to get his daughter, at the very least, noticed by record labels. But that doesn’t take away from all the success Clairo has found over the years, including a Grammy nomination in 2024 and numerous prime slots in music festivals including Coachella and Lollapalooza. Being a nepo baby isn’t a bad thing; what matters is how you use your privilege and what you do with it.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that Stella Lefty’s billionaire father pulled some strings to get her a record deal as well as pay for anything she might need to make her dreams come true, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Lefty getting an advantage because of her family. It’s unfair, but so is life, and there are plenty of examples of people coming from nothing and having a huge career. Take Dolly Parton, for example, who was born in a one-room cabin, was the fourth of 12 siblings, and has described that she grew up “dirt poor.” I do think it’s unreasonable for Lefty to steal other people’s work and face little consequences.
The problem with Stella Lefty is that she’s using her nepotism to steal from fellow artists. I have no problem with nepo babies who use their privilege to do something creative or new and are talented. Take the children and relatives of Francis Ford Coppola. Roman and Sofia Coppola, his children, are extremely successful writers and directors. Sofia directed her first two movies with the help of her father’s production company, and Ford was able to finance Roman and his friend Wes Anderson’s movies. On top of this, Jason Schwartzman and Nicholas Cage, successful and celebrated actors, are Francis Ford Coppola’s nephews. I think it would be very hard to find a person who would argue that between these four nepo babies, none of them have made something creative or talented.
So, is Stella Lefty being a nepo baby a bad thing? Despite the criticism and plagiarism allegations, Lefty is seeing success, with “Boston” ranked #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Country, sold-out shows, and award nominations. Right now online, things don’t look good for her. But the internet has a short memory, and only time can really tell.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
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