RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Stella Lefty emerged seemingly out of nowhere this year with the track “Boston,” a toe-tapping, romantic country-pop smash that interpolates Noah Kahan ’s “Stick Season.” The tune, one of the summer’s biggest hits , reached No. 3 on both Billboard’s Hot 100 and Country Songs charts following “Thinking ‘Bout You,” her only other previous charting song, which peaked at 50 on Country Songs.
Bolstered by the success of “Boston,” Lefty’s EP, Is This Heaven, debuted at No. 9 on the Top Country Albums in late May, making her the first woman to land in the top 10 with her initial release this year. All six songs from that effort are on Long Way Home, her first full-length album out Friday (Aug. 21) via Atlantic Outpost.
The album, helmed by British producer Joe Reeves (Lil Durk, Morgan Wallen , Jelly Roll), is extremely likeable. Reeves’ low-key production perfectly complements Lefty’s sweet, unadorned vocals, creating what feels like an uncomplicated, authentic effort and a solid introduction to a formidable, developing talent. Her voice is wrapped around primarily acoustic instrumentation, especially banjo and mandolin, that adds to the album’s overall pleasing blend of country, folk and pop.
Lefty, 24, co-wrote the album’s 14 songs and the subject matter is solidly Gen Z. All but one of the tunes deals with romance and trying to figure out the complexities of what happens after boy meets girl. Many of the encounters start in a bar, because that’s where 20-somethings are hanging out. This leads to a similarity in theme that could wear thin when the album is listened to from start to finish — as does the mid-tempo pace of most of the songs — so the songs shine better when listened to individually.
Below Billboard ranks all 14 songs. (Just assume the tunes are mid-tempo unless described otherwise.)
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