Stella Lefty’s ‘Long Way Home’: All 14 Tracks Ranked

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.)

Probably the most country-sounding song on the album complete with a banjo-based melody and a chugging beat that’s instantly catchy, as Lefty looks to cure a heartache with alcohol and a new man. The listener’s tolerance level for the song will vary depending upon if they find the rhyme scheme “One glass of wine and you’re on my mind/ One sip of gin and I’m right back in/ One shot of tequila and I really wanna feel ya” clever or too cutesy. The song doesn’t wear as well as others on the set, though the banjo definitely ups the appeal.

Lefty is the one making the first move here, as she endeavors to get out of the friend zone on this mid-tempo, banjo-led song. “Know we’re just friends, but we don’t have to be,” she proclaims in her soft-sell pitch to take the relationship to the next level… or not.  Sweet, but one of the less memorable songs on the album.

A lilting track about missing someone when they are literally just in the next room. Like so many of the songs on the album, there’s a wholesome, wistful sweetness to the tune, as Lefty contemplates if her beau is missing her too, and longing for the times they’ve had.

Another mid-tempo, meet-in-a-bar-and-let’s-see-where-it-goes tune finds Lefty swept up after one evening and instead of running, she’s going to stay — “’Cause I want you kissing me, missing me/ Blushing when you picture me” — even though that’s not something she usually does.  

The thumping track is more uplifting musically than the sad story the song tells as Lefty has perfected the art of not sticking around. The morning after has come and as sunlight streams into the bedroom, Lefty is headed out on her own terms because experience has taught her it’s better that way. “I wasn’t born this way/I’m just a product of too many heartbreaks,” she sings in the first two lines, setting us up to know this isn’t a long-lived romance.  

Even when Lefty is proposing a one-night stand, as she does here, there’s something so sweet in her voice that it just sounds darling instead of lascivious. “And even if it’s just for the night/ You got me feeling all right, all right,” she coos. One of the album’s more upbeat tracks, with a pleasing blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation.  

Once again, Lefty finds herself in a bar, but this time she’s not looking for the love of a lifetime, she’s just looking for love for the night. They’re slow dancing and drinking, but she’s not in it for a long time, just a good time. “I don’t need a follow-up/ No text when you get back,” she sings and she is just fine with that.  

In an album full of songs about relationships — good ones, bad ones and in-between ones — “Forever Guy” stands out for its plaintive vulnerability. Set to a minor, acoustic guitar melody, Lefty’s raw vocals perfectly match the remorseful lyrics as she blames herself for ever thinking that this guy wasn’t the leaving kind, instead of just realizing (as she will with a few more years’ experience) that he’s just a jerk.

The percussive stomp kicking off the track helps set the album closer apart from several other tracks on the set. Slow simmering passion ignites as Lefty and her new love give in after a week of slowly sliding into infatuation. As she reasons, why wouldn’t they succumb to temptation? “If you got an empty side of the bed/Babe, why would I sleep alone?” she asks. Who can argue with that logic?

The jaunty, finger-snapping melody stands in contradiction to the wistful lyrics, as Lefty recalls a summer romance that has ended, and left her a little heartbroken that their love didn’t last more than one season.  Catchy and very cinematic, with such lines as “My makeup was running/ But you kissed me anyways,” as the rain pours down.

Many people’s first introduction to Lefty, “Thinking ‘Bout You” is the purest pop song on the album, and a feel-good tale of friends to lovers. Released in early 2006, the dreamy, romantic, finger-snapping tune includes one of Lefty’s most endearing vocals as she can’t stop thinking about her man after everything changed in one evening — at least in her head. The layered vocals and harmonies, as well as her little giggle toward the end, also make this a standout track.

Lefty’s stripped-down voice, accompanied only by acoustic guitar, opens the mid-tempo swooner, as the true story unfolds about a romance that wasn’t supposed to develop into anything serious — the IRL relationship between Lefty and boyfriend/fellow country singer-songwriter Mason — but now they’re both fully invested. She and Mason, who co-wrote the song, trade off on verses before coming together, her lilting voice and his gruff vocals playing against each other in delightful contrast.   

Co-written with top Nashville tunesmith Ernest, “Feel Better” is one of the better-crafted songs on the album, and has emotional layers that run deeper than many of the other tunes. Unlike the vast majority of the songs on the album that deal with romantic relationships, “Feel Better” grapples with depression and the sense of being overwhelmed by the weight of the world. “On paper, I’d say everything’s great/ But when will I feel better?” Lefty asks.  The album could have used more diversity in its subject matter, and this serves as a welcome change, despite the downer topic.

A genial acoustic track complete with pedal steel, which interpolates Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” but still manages to succeed on its own. “I like it when you’re nice to me” is the repeating refrain here as, much to her own surprise, Lefty finds herself headed to Boston with her new beau. This is usually when she heads for the door, but this time she’s sticking around. One of the indisputable earworms of the summer, and of this album.