Emerging singer Stella Lefty is under scrutiny over her music. Listeners are pointing out similarities between her recent song "Why Wouldn’t We" and Blake Shelton’s 2017 hit, "I’ll Name the Dogs." The 24-year-old artist included "Why Wouldn’t We" on her debut album, Long Way Home, which officially came out on August 21st. This marks the song on that album to draw public claims about songwriting similarities.
The comparison between "Why Wouldn’t We" and "I’ll Name the Dogs" started after fans noticed parallels in melody and theme. Both songs explore how a couple divides up responsibilities and future plans in a relationship. In Lefty’s track she sings about splitting up tasks like cooking, cleaning, driving and choosing movies. Blake Shelton’s song covers ground—hanging pictures going fishing, naming children and taking care of pets.
Shelton’s 2017 single was written by Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip and Josh Thompson. None of these writers are credited on "Why Wouldn’t We," which lists Stella Lefty, Emily Weisband, Grady Block and Steph Jones. As of now no one involved has made any comment about the allegations.
This isn’t the first time tracks from Long Way Home have drawn attention for sounding familiar. Her breakout song, "Boston " was heavily compared to Noah Kahan’s "Stick Season." Eventually Kahan was added as a songwriter. Lefty said at the time that the similarities were not intentional.. Old videos surfaced online showing her covering "Stick Season" before releasing her own version.
Another track on the album "Summer You Were Mine " uses an interpolation of The Chicks’ 1998 song "There’s Your Trouble " written by Tia Sillers and Mark Selby. Early streaming versions didn’t include their names. Atlantic Records said it was an error and confirmed that permission had been properly secured before release. Their credits have since been corrected.
Now that the album is out Stella Lefty is getting ready for performances across North America and Australia this fall. She will kick off the "Long Way Home Tour" in 2027.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 09/06/2026 | Syracuse, NY | Chevy Court (Great New York State Fair) |
| 09/10/2026 | Austin TX | LBJ Lawn (w/ Chris Stapleton) |
| 09/12/2026 | Hutchinson, KS | Kansas State Fairgrounds (w/ BigXThaPlug) |
| 09/13/2026 | Madison, IL | World Wide Technology Raceway (Confluence Music Festival) |
| 09/17/2026 | Ottawa ON | RA Centre (CityFolk Festival) |
| 09/19/2026 | Las Vegas, NV | T-Mobile Arena (iHeartRadio Music Festival) |
| 09/26/2026 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky Expo Center (Bourbon & Beyond) |
| 09/27/2026 | Columbia, MD | Merriweather Post Pavilion (All Things Go Music Festival) |
| 10/01/2026 | Nashville, TN | The Bluebird Cafe |
| 10/03/2026 | Decatur, AL | The Fields at Decatur (Rock the South) |
| 10/04/2026 | Austin TX | Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Music Festival) |
| 10/10/2026 | Ballarat, VIC | Victoria Park (Strummingbird) |
| 10/11/2026 | Melbourne, VIC | Prince Bandroom |
| 10/15/2026 | Sydney, NSW | The Metro Theatre Sydney |
| 10/17/2026 | Newcastle, NSW | Foreshore Park (Strummingbird) |
| 10/18/2026 | Sunshine Coast QLD | Kawana Sports Precinct (Strummingbird) |
| 10/30/2026 | San Francisco CA | Bimbos 365 Club (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/01/2026 | West Hollywood, CA | Troubadour (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/02/2026 | Los Angeles, CA | Fonda Theatre (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/03/2026 | Phoenix, AZ | Crescent Ballroom (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/06/2026 | Dallas, TX | Cambridge Room at House of Blues (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/07/2026 | Houston TX | The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/10/2026 | Atlanta, GA | The Masquerade – Hell (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/12/2026 | Toronto ON | The Opera House (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/15/2026 | New York, NY | Webster Hall (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/16/2026 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/17/2026 | Boston, MA | Royale (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/19/2026 | Washington, DC | The Atlantis (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 11/21/2026 | Nashville, TN | The Truth |
| 11/23/2026 | Chicago, IL | Lincoln Hall (w/ Grace Enger) |
| 12/08/2026 | Kansas City, MO | The Midland Theatre (Acoustic Christmas) |
| 01/09/2027 | Detroit, MI | The Fillmore Detroit |
| 01/10/2027 | Columbus OH | KEMBA Live! |
| 01/12/2027 | Toronto, ON | HISTORY |
| 01/13/2027 | Toronto, ON | HISTORY |
| 01/15/2027 | Montreal, QC | MTELUS |
| 01/17/2027 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway |
| 01/19/2027 | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount |
| 01/20/2027 | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount |
| 01/22/2027 | Philadelphia, PA | The Met |
| 01/23/2027 | Washington, DC | The Anthem |
| 01/25/2027 | Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore Charlotte |
| 01/26/2027 | Atlanta, GA | Tabernacle |
| 01/28/2027 | Dallas, TX | South Side Ballroom |
| 01/30/2027 | Houston, TX | House of Blues |
| 01/31/2027 | Austin, TX | ACL Live, at the Moody Theater |
| 02/09/2027 | San Francisco CA | The Masonic |
| 02/12/2027 | Salt Lake City, UT | The Union Event Center |
| 02/13/2027 | Denver, CO | Fillmore Auditorium |
| 02/17/2027 | Nashville, TN | Ryman Auditorium |
| 02/18/2027 | Nashville, TN | Ryman Auditorium |
| 02/20/2027 | Chicago IL | Aragon Ballroom |
| 03/13/2027 | Amsterdam, NL | Melkweg |
| 03/14/2027 | Cologne, DE | Luxor |
| 03/16/2027 | Paris FR | La Maroquinerie |
| 03/17/2027 | Antwerp BE | Trix |
| 03/19/2027 | Manchester, UK | O2 Ritz Manchester |
| 03/20/2027 | Glasgow, UK | Glasgow Art School |
| 03/22/2027 | Birmingham, UK | O2 Institute2 Birmingham |
| 03/23/2027 | London, UK | Islington Assembly Hall |
| 03/26/2027 | Dublin, IE | The Academy |
| 03/27/2027 | Dublin, IE | The Academy |
