From achieving her big break with the song “Tennessee Orange,” which highlights a relationship that transcends the Tennessee vs. Georgia college football rivalry to playing shows at South by Southwest in 2025, Megan Moroney made a name for herself as the “Emo Cowgirl.”
Her second studio album, “Am I Okay?,” released in 2024, showcased themes of lingering heartbreak and being swept away by a new love, concealed in a deep blue overlay that represented the album’s emotional tone. On the other hand, “Cloud 9,” her third album, released on Friday, Feb. 20, displays her growth as an artist through advanced vocals and lyrics. This album, cloaked in pink hues and princess themes, discusses the concept of new love and being hopeful about the future.
“It’s a long, long way, way down / Down to cloud nine,” Moroney sings on her title track “Cloud 9.” These lyrics, a play on the phrase “I’m on Cloud 9,” indicate Moroney’s advanced level of happiness.
“I had the title ‘Cloud 9′ in my notes app for a very long time,” Moroney said in an interview with USA Today Entertainment. “It wasn’t until I truly just started feeling extremely happy (that) I thought it would be a really cool concept to write a song that was like, ‘I’m above Cloud 9.’”
Staying true to Moroney’s goal to embody happiness, “Wish I Didn’t” features rhythmic drumline and upbeat instrumentals that practically force a person to scream the lyrics in a car with the windows down. With lyrics like “I think I’m falling for you, don’t make me wish I didn’t,” Moroney highlights the openness for new love she seems to personify in this new era of her music.
However, not all of the songs on this album are as pump-your-fist-in-the-air energetic, yet they all embody the butterflies of falling in love or being really content with a person’s place in life. Tracks like “Medicine,” “Wedding Dress” and “Table for Two” feature a slower, more mellow beat while incorporating a more casual guitar, making these tracks sound like film scores or ceremonial wedding music — perfect for the “zest for life” feeling Moroney chooses to enunciate.
As a newer artist, Moroney works hard to differentiate herself from the hundreds of other successful country music stars out there and make a name for herself within the country-pop genre. So, it’s surprising to none of her fans that she chose to feature Ed Sheeran on this album, an artist with a similar sound. “I Only Miss You” sounds like a classic country song, but deviates from the theme of the album when discussing the heartbreak that follows the end of a relationship and how that feeling follows a person everywhere.
Ultimately, Megan Moroney continues to impress fans and foes alike with “Cloud 9,” spotlighting a new era in the singer’s life while also ensuring she stays true to her “Emo Cowgirl” brand.
4.5 pink album covers out of 5
