Stella Lefty explains why Noah Kahan received a songwriting credit on ‘Boston’

# What happened

Stella Lefty has publicly explained how Noah Kahan ended up with a songwriting credit on her breakout single "Boston." Lefty told Vanity Fair she wrote the song in Nashville about her boyfriend, country musician Vincent Mason, and wasn't thinking about Kahan or his music while writing. She says she didn't immediately recognise the melodic similarity listeners later noticed between "Boston" and Kahan's 2022 hit "Stick Season."

# How the credit came about

Kahan's representatives contacted Lefty to say they believed the songs were similar. Lefty decided to give Kahan a songwriting credit before "Boston" was officially released. Her reason was straightforward: she didn't want to create a dispute and preferred to resolve the matter directly. She said, "I don't want to step on anybody's toes," and agreed to the credit rather than contest the similarity.

# Context for both songs

"Stick Season" was a major hit for Noah Kahan, and the song became the biggest track of 2024 in the UK. Kahan has previously said the title refers to the transitional period between fall and snow, a metaphor for life changes. "Boston" has become a major commercial success as well, peaking at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100. The single appears on Lefty's debut album Long Way Home, which was released on August 21.

# Related career updates

# Why this matters

Songwriting credits affect royalties and publishing ownership. Lefty's decision to credit Kahan before release removes the need for a public legal dispute and ensures Kahan receives recognition and compensation tied to the track. For artists and teams, this is an example of a proactive, pragmatic response when melodic similarities are raised after a song is written.

# Bottom line

Lefty maintains the writing of "Boston" was personal and not intended to reference Kahan. When informed of the similarity, she chose to attribute songwriting credit to Kahan to avoid conflict and settle the issue cleanly. The songs' overlap has not slowed either artist: Lefty's single has climbed the charts and she's launching a headline tour, while Kahan continues his arena and stadium schedule.