Megan Moroney‘s third studio album, Cloud 9, is out. The 15-track record, co-written entirely by Moroney, includes her singles, “6 Months Later,” and “Beautiful Things,” “Wish I Didn’t,” plus two collaborations. Ed Sheeran joins Moroney on “I Only Miss You,” while Kacey Musgraves sings with Moroney on “Bells & Whistles.”
Moroney shares a handwritten letter to her fans about her new project.
“Before you listen, I just want to say thank you to every single one of you!” Moroney writes. “I had the most fun I’ve ever had writing these songs/dreaming up this world, and a majority of this album was created right in the midst of the Am I Okay? Tour. The pure joy y’all brought me night after night resulted in so many of these songs and ideas so I can’t thank y’all enough for inspiring me.
“There’s a newfound confidence woven throughout Cloud 9 along with humor, honesty, heartbreak (duh), softness and love,” she continues. “It’s got everything I love about country music. Never in a million years would I have guessed I’d have songs with Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves, but I hope it inspires any and all dreamers out there to keep going. Your wildest dreams are not out of reach.”
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What Megan Moroney Says About ‘Cloud 9’
Cloud 9 follows her debut Lucky, and sophomore Am I Okay? project. While the third record can be a challenge for most artists, Moroney says it is without question her best foot forward.
“I focus on what’s in front of me and just make art and music, and then let that define where it’s gonna go,” Moroney tells Esquire. “It ended up creating a really cool world that’s much different than Lucky and Am I Okay?, but still feels very me—the most me, I think—on this album, because my feet are planted and I have more confidence as a writer and an artist in what I can say and do.”
Ever since Moroney’s debut “Tennessee Orange” single, which was certified quadruple platinum, the Georgia native has been baring her soul in her music. But with Cloud 9, even Moroney admits she didn’t hold anything back.
“When I was writing these songs, I was overly confident,” Moroney maintains. “The sass was turned up to ten. I’m being an exaggerated version of my day-to-day personality, and I had a lot of fun writing from that perspective. I wrote songs like ‘Medicine,’ like, ‘You gave your number to an L.A. blonde? Well, I gave the quarterback mine,’ and ‘Stupid’: ‘What’s there to not love? I’m the whole package!’ Then I realized, ‘Oh, this is gonna be a fun, light album.’ That’s when things started to shift.
“It feels like the first album where I’ve really got the hang of things,” she adds. “This is my best foot forward, which I’m proud of.”
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Cloud 9 Track List
1. “Cloud 9” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Ernest Keith Smith)*
2. “Medicine” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
3. “6 Months Later” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Rob Hatch, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
4. “Stupid” (Megan Moroney, Amy Allen, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
5. “Beautiful Things” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
6. “Convincing” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
7. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
8. “I Only Miss You (ft. Ed Sheeran)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, and Ed Sheeran)*
9. “Wedding Dress” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, and Colin Healy)+
10. “Change of Heart” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
11. “Bells & Whistles (ft. Kacey Musgraves)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
12. “Table for Two” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)^
13. “Wish I Didn’t” (Megan Moroney, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird)*
14. “Who Hurt You?” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
15. “Waiting on the Rain” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
* Produced by Kristian Bush
+ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney, additional production by Kristian Bush
^ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney