Pink clouds, dreamy guitar strums and relationship insecurities are all at play in Megan Moroney’s third studio album, “Cloud 9,” which released on Friday, Feb. 20. Across 15 tracks, this country pop singer created an album that leans into her self-appointed “emo cowgirl” persona, delivering a project that feels cohesive and captures the ups and downs of a relationship. With strong production and vulnerable lyrics, “Cloud 9” shows growth in Moroney’s songwriting and sound.
Moroney co-produced the album with Kristian Bush and Luke Liard and co-wrote it with Amy Allen, Ed Sheeran, Jessi Alexander and others. Moroney says that she almost named the project after the punchy, upbeat song “Medicine” before deciding on the dreamy love song “Cloud 9.”
“I just got to a point in my life – it was like a very foreign feeling, to feel so happy,” Moroney said in an interview with Taste of Country. “Just like an excitement to live, which you know I feel like is rare for a lot of us to just wake up and be like, ‘Wow, today is wonderful.’”
This sentiment is felt in the opening track, which begins with a catchy guitar riff exuding strong romantic energy. She sings about being so in love with a guy that she’s higher than Cloud 9. In contrast, “Medicine” takes an edgier approach. With a more aggressive tone, the song is about giving a man a taste of his own medicine, diving into themes of revenge and emotional manipulation. The difference between these two tracks showcases the range of Moroney’s lyrical and emotional abilities.
Compared to her 2024 album titled “Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine),” “Cloud 9” feels like she is continuing her reign as an “emo cowgirl” while showing off her improvement in both lyrical structure and musical cohesion. If one were to loop the album back-to-back, they would hear the last track, “Waiting On the Rain,” fading out and would be brought back into a dream-like state with “Cloud 9” acting as the cycle shape that relationships can take.
Each song in Moroney’s newest album can capture and describe a specific moment within a relationship. It starts with a period of infatuation in “Cloud 9” and moves towards the doubtful and heart-breaking ballad “Waiting On the Rain” that reinforces the emotional arc of the record.
The album has two features: Ed Sheeran on “I Only Miss You” and Kacey Musgraves on “Bells & Whistles.” Both collaborations feel meaningful and purposeful rather than names used to promote the album. Moroney has called Musgraves one of her primary songwriting influences and told Absolute Country Radio, “That collab is my Super Bowl.”
When asked why “Who Hurt You?” was a vulnerable track for Moroney in an interview with Elaina Smith, Moroney said that she actively avoided answering questions about that situation. The situation in question comes from a rumored love triangle between her and two other country music stars: Ella Langley and Riley Green. The track goes beyond this speculation as she captures the frustration of public scrutiny and private relationships. In a similar theme, Moroney calls out the unfair standards for women in the music industry in “Liars & Tigers & Bears,” adding to the emotional depth of the album.
One track that feels sonically out of place is “Wedding Dress.” While lyrically strong, the production doesn’t match the tempo of the song, which makes it stick out of the cohesive flow.
With “Cloud 9,” Moroney shows that she can balance sweetness with sharp honesty and vulnerability as she refines her style and embraces her emotions.
