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Country newcomer Stella Lefty has officially reached the top of the country charts with “Boston,” earning her first No. 1 at Country radio on both the Country Aircheck/Mediabase Airplay chart and Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
The breakout hit reached No. 1 just 22 weeks after impacting radio, making “Boston” the fastest chart debut by a solo female artist to reach the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart in more than 20 years, dating back to Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” in 2004. On Mediabase, it follows Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which reached No. 1 in 2006.
The milestone also makes “Boston” the third-fastest debut single by a solo female country artist to reach No. 1 in the Mediabase era, and the fifth-fastest by any solo debut country artist.
For Lefty, the accomplishment is particularly meaningful considering the role country radio played in her own childhood.
“jumping for joy today bcuz Boston has gone #1 at country radio 😭😭😭😭 i can’t even believe this is real,” Lefty shared on Instagram. “when i was younger, id find ALL my favorite songs on country radio, and its crazy to me that maybe some little girl or boy feels that way about Boston.”
She continued, “thank you to everybody who believes in me and believes in this song- im forever grateful for you.”
“Boston” Becomes A 2026 Breakout
The numbers behind “Boston” are just as impressive. The song has surpassed 486 million streams worldwide and climbed to No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
It has also earned 2026 MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Country and Song of Summer, while Lefty is nominated for Best New Artist.
NPR called the track a “bright, summery mood-lifter,” while Billboard described it as a “toe-tapping, romantic country pop smash.”
The song appears on Lefty’s debut album, Long Way Home, released August 21 via Atlantic Outpost. The album also features “Something To Lose,” a bittersweet duet with Vincent Mason that recently cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Long Way Home made its own chart statement, debuting at No. 1 on Spotify’s Top Albums Global and USA charts.
From Lollapalooza To The Grand Ole Opry
Lefty’s No. 1 comes during a whirlwind year that has seen the rising artist quickly make her way onto some of the biggest stages in music.
Earlier this month, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, adding another Nashville milestone to a year that has already included her debut television performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a hometown performance at Lollapalooza, and appearances at CMA Fest, BST Hyde Park and OSHEAGA.
Known for her high-energy live performances, Lefty has also shared stages with Mumford & Sons, Jessie Murph, Cameron Whitcomb, Wyatt Flores and Alessi Rose.
With “Boston” now sitting at No. 1 at Country radio, Stella Lefty has added another major milestone to what has already been a remarkable breakout year.
