By Sophia Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief
Country artist Megan Morney’s third studio album, “Cloud 9,” was released on Feb. 20, and she continues to cement her place in country music as our sequin-donning, hot-pink-loving, self-proclaimed “professional emo cowgirl.” Moroney’s rise to the top of country music has taken her through many different eras, and she’s not even stopping at cloud 9.
“Cloud 9” veers a bit from her earlier albums in tone, but her message remains the same: if you are a man who wrongs Megan Moroney, you’ll hear about it in her next album. The production itself is upbeat and fun—almost veering into pop-country territory. Moroney’s raspy, unique voice delivers digs with precision, but she softens it up for the few softer tracks of the album. The album features collaborations with Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran, cementing her place in the country genre, but also a touch of genre-shifting.
The title track, “Cloud 9,” is a song about that top-of-the-world feeling when one is in love. The lyrics are simple, and the tune is catchy, but it’s effective—it showcases the dizzying, almost euphoric feeling of a love where you can let your guard down. On the occasion that Morney writes a love song, she does it well, making this a standout track on the album.
“Wedding Dress” is a uniquely written narrative where Moroney imagines a world in which she moves on from a heartbreak, finds a new man, but worries she’ll never truly get over that first love. The last lines of the chorus sum it up well: “So let me miss him now/ But God, don’t lеt me miss him in a wedding dress.” It’s a heartbreaking piece about the fear of regret, and it’s raw and honest, something we’ve come to expect from Moroney.
One of the last songs on the track, “Who Hurt You?” seems to be becoming a fan favorite. The track is a signature Moroney “screw you” banger. Moroney begins the song by lamenting her naivety at the beginning of a relationship and wonders what could have happened for this man to be so terrible to her. She packs a strong punch in some of these lines, hurling insults and digs at the man in question in her witty, straightforward fashion. Fans speculate it may have something to do with Riley Green, a country artist Moroney has been connected with previously.
It is clear that this album was a passion project for Moroney, which she expressed in a handwritten note she posted on her Instagram feed the night before the album released.
“I had the most fun I’ve ever had writing these songs/dreaming up this world and a majority of this album,” wrote Moroney.
And it shows: Moroney simply had fun with this album. The branding was at times slightly unserious; the songs are catchy yet emotionally complex; she collaborated with two successful artists, and it’s clear that whatever she’s doing, it’s working. If this is Moroney on cloud 9, it’s clear she won’t be coming down anytime soon.
