Stella Lefty is facing fresh plagiarism allegations after listeners flagged apparent similarities between her song ‘Misery’ and ‘A Million Dreams’, a track from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman. The comparisons first appeared in the comments section of the ‘Misery’ YouTube video about a month ago and gained wider traction on social media over the weekend.
The renewed scrutiny arrives as Lefty continues to face accusations that her music borrows heavily from other artists. Social media users have begun referring to her as “Stella Thefty” amid the ongoing backlash. So far, the discussion remains limited to online commentary, with no reported legal claim filed over the alleged similarities between the two songs.
‘Misery’ is credited to Lefty, Madi Yanofsky and Phil Cook, while ‘A Million Dreams’ was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, with Rob Mathes credited as arranger. None of the parties involved have publicly responded to the latest allegations at the time of writing, though listeners have been vocal about the perceived likeness.
One YouTube user commented under Lefty’s video: “This is just the sequel, Billionaire Dreams.” Another wrote beneath The Greatest Showman song: “Congrats to Pasek and Paul on their upcoming Stella Lefty writing credits.”
The ‘Misery’ claims come shortly after the internet seized on similarities between Lefty’s recent single ‘Why Wouldn’t We’ and Blake Shelton’s 2017 track ‘I’ll Name The Dogs’. Since its release last month, many listeners have pointed to common ground between the two songs, not only in their melodies but also in their lyrical approach to dividing domestic responsibilities within a relationship.
Lefty has faced multiple plagiarism accusations in the past. Her hit song ‘Boston’ drew backlash over its similarities to Noah Kahan’s ‘Stick Season’, and Kahan subsequently received a songwriting credit on the track. Lefty previously addressed the comparisons, saying: “When I was writing this song, I wasn’t thinking about Noah Kahan. I was literally thinking about nothing at all.” She added: “I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, so I’m like, if this sounds like that, whatever, all good.”
Since releasing her debut album last month, Lefty has also announced an 18-date North American headline tour. The run begins in Detroit on January 8 and concludes with a Chicago show on February 20.