On her sophomore studio album, Megan Moroney asked, Am I Okay? Her recently released third album brings us the answer: Yes—in fact she’s on Cloud 9, thanks for asking. Despite its lofty title, the 28-year-old Georgia native says her latest record is her most grounded project yet. Released last week, Cloud 9 sees Moroney fully stepping into her power as a songwriter—from snappy revenge anthems like “Medicine” to the emotionally crushing fare of “Wedding Dress,” which lives up to every bit of her “emo cowgirl” reputation.
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Megan Moroney Doesn’t Care About Being Famous
So, what’s the key to Megan Moroney’s success? “Not giving a s—,” she bluntly told the Los Angeles Times.
Her former touring partner, Kenny Chesney, describes the “6 Months Later” singer as “song-oriented” rather than fame-focused. “She couldn’t care less about being a celebrity,” the “Anything But Mine” crooner told Rolling Stone last year. “She cares what her music means to people — and making sure they get the best of everything she does.”
Moroney agrees with this assessment, telling the Times, ” I feel like if I cared, I’d be — I don’t know if I can say this, actually.”
At the encouragement of her interviewer, she continued, “I’d be winning awards. I don’t do much of that. If celebrity was my goal, I feel like I’d be failing a little bit.”
“My Songs Always Come First”
It isn’t as though Megan Moroney has been shut out of country music awards ceremonies, per se. In 2024, she took home New Artist of the Year honors at the Country Music Association Awards, also earning the New Female Artist of the Year distinction from the Academy of Country Music.
But to employ a cliche, Moroney truly savors the journey over the destination when it comes to making an album. “My songs always come first… My lyrics are always at the forefront of everything, and I try to make that known,” she said.
A co-writer on all 15 tracks, Moroney’s fans have fully embraced her work, which has allowed her to grow more comfortable penning lyrics “with my whole chest,” she told Audacy’s Katie Neal.
“I feel like I know I’ve got the best fans in the world, and they make me confident enough to where they’re going to get behind my songs, and they know that it’s coming from an honest, authentic place,” she said. “And that just has given me more confidence as a songwriter to not give a crap what people are going to say about it.”
Featured image by John Shearer/Getty Images for Megan Moroney
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