Megan Moroney has happily exited her ‘degenerate’ era

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Why did Megan Moroney jump into a swimming pool last night wearing a fluffy white gown?

“For the vibes,” she says with a laugh.

The 28-year-old country singer was shooting the music video for her new song, “Wedding Dress,” at a scenic cliffside location in Malibu. It was quite windy, with gusts almost reaching 30 miles per hour, she recalled the next day.

She admitted it wasn’t a pleasant experience, but said her regular cold plunges helped. The scariest moment was when the dress slipped over her head, briefly making it hard to breathe. She thought for a moment it could be dangerous, but she quickly regained control, removed the dress, and was fine.

“Wedding Dress” is a beautifully sad song, sung from the perspective of a woman worried that she’ll still think about an ex even as she’s about to get married. It’s typical of Moroney’s style – she’s become known as country music’s “emo cowgirl” since her song “Tennessee Orange” topped the charts in 2023.

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Kacey Musgraves’ third album, “Cloud 9,” generally feels more hopeful than her previous work. The title track expresses a giddy new romance, while songs like “Beautiful Things” and “6 Months Later” celebrate overcoming tough times. She playfully calls out someone who doesn’t appreciate her individuality with help from Brooke Moroney in “Bells & Whistles.” Even the Ed Sheeran duet, “I Only Miss You,” though featuring the longing line “My bed keeps getting colder,” explores the bittersweet feelings of missing someone.

Sheeran praises Moroney, saying all of her songs perfectly convey certain feelings. He shares that he and his family have been listening to her first two albums constantly at home.

Sitting in a West Hollywood hotel lounge and enjoying iced coffee, Moroney talked about her latest album and the upcoming U.S. concert tour. She was wearing a pink sweatsuit that matched the album’s cover art, and mentioned she has several of the same outfit. When asked, she didn’t specify who designed it.

She dismissed Kim Kardashian’s clothing brand, Skims, saying it’s already so popular it doesn’t need any advertising.

Your new album, “Cloud 9,” is your third in under three years. What drives you to create music so quickly? Well, I write a lot, and I need to capture my feelings when they’re strongest. I can’t put it off for months – I’d move on from those feelings by then.

Has anyone at the record label ever suggested you hold back or be more cautious? They’re always excited when I tell them I have new music—it always comes as a surprise. I usually deliver the music with the accompanying visuals, already fully produced. Early on, I made a deal with them: let me work without interference as long as I’m doing a good job.

I think this album feels brighter because I’ve learned a lot about what I want in life. My earlier work was full of uncertainty – either desperately wanting someone’s attention or staying in unhealthy relationships for too long. This time around, I didn’t tolerate anything toxic. I’ve also matured and have a better sense of self. It’s funny, the more self-assured you become, the more comfortable you are being gentle and embracing your femininity.

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The singer and actress has released her first album in over ten years, titled “Luck… or Something.” She recently discussed the challenges of combining her career with raising a family.

Kenny Chesney recently mentioned to Rolling Stone that I don’t seem to care much about fame, but that doesn’t quite ring true. I’ve always prioritized my music, and I think that’s what he was getting at.

You clearly put a lot of effort into how you present yourself, and that suggests you’re fascinated by the whole idea of being a star. That’s interesting to me, actually – I studied marketing in college. When I first moved to Nashville, I figured I could easily work in marketing for a record label if my music career didn’t take off. I think if I was truly bothered by any of this, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it openly.

Please, proceed. I’m not really focused on seeking fame or recognition, and honestly, if that were my aim, I don’t think I’d be very successful. I don’t strive for awards or celebrity status.

Do people recognize me as a genuine songwriter? I believe they do. I often see comments saying they don’t like my singing, but they appreciate my songwriting. That tells me they do see me as a good songwriter. I really focus on making my lyrics strong and letting them be the main part of my music, and I try to make sure people understand that’s my priority.

I’ve become more comfortable being myself in my songwriting. I used to worry more about sounding perfect, but now I prioritize honesty. For example, lines like ‘Oh, how the turns have tabled’ in ‘6 Months Later’ – I wouldn’t have included something so casual on my earlier work. Now, people recognize my sense of humor and get references like that, or appreciate the bluntness in a song like ‘Who Hurt You?’ Sometimes, being authentic and expressing exactly how I feel is more important than making things sound poetic.

This album features some really talented songwriters like Jessie Jo Dillon, Amy Allen, and Luke Laird. When I’m collaborating with a writer, I’m looking for someone who gets excited about my ideas. I actually start with the catchiest part of the song – the ‘hook’ – and build the story around that. So I need someone who reacts with the same energy I felt when I first thought of it.

The saying goes, ‘What doesn’t kill you calls you six months later,’ and that’s a pretty clever way to put it, especially coming from Nashville. It started as ‘three months later,’ but I realized that wasn’t a realistic timeframe. After three months, people are often still involved with their exes. Six months, though—that’s usually when it hits them: they made a mistake.

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Okay, so this is still wild to me. Last year, Ed Sheeran actually asked me to perform with him at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville! Honestly, when my team told me, my first thought was, ‘Seriously? Is everyone else busy?’ I even had a vacation planned, but you drop everything when Ed Sheeran calls, right? I immediately clicked with him – we both totally geek out over songwriting. We started emailing, and yeah, the rumors about him using an iPad are true! Eventually, we started sharing songs with each other. But he deserves all the credit for choosing that really classic country song we ended up doing.

Your song feels a bit more classic than most of the tracks on “Cloud 9.” The harmonies have a similar vibe to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, and I’m hoping it becomes a go-to karaoke duet like Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock’s “Picture” – the kind everyone sings when they’re having a late-night, fun time.

I heard you and Kacey Musgraves were at the Paul McCartney concert! We were, actually. It was funny, though – we didn’t plan to be together, but we ended up sitting next to each other. Kacey went to get a drink and came back asking when he was going to play ‘Blackbird.’ I had to tell her he’d already played it, just him and his guitar, a few minutes earlier. She didn’t believe me! That was the best part of the whole show, honestly. I can’t believe he still puts on such long performances; my back was killing me just watching him.

Okay, so people always ask about how I get ready for tour, and it’s pretty intense! Basically, I do a TON of cardio – I actually sing while I’m on the treadmill, which is a challenge. And I’m a big fan of Lagree fitness – I try to do that three or four times a week to stay in shape.

I had never heard of Lagree before. It’s similar to Pilates, but much more intense. I tried it once in L.A. and it was so tough I could barely walk afterwards! I figure if you can get through a Lagree workout and an ice bath first thing in the morning, everything else in your day will seem easy. There’s also a specific diet involved – basically just meat and vegetables, with no sugar or carbs. I’m trying to follow a similar routine to Kenny, who gets into amazing shape. He even does a 31-day juice cleanse! I attempted a juice cleanse back in college, but I was miserable by day two and couldn’t keep it up. I just don’t have that level of dedication.

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Following the success of his critically acclaimed Elvis biopic four years ago, the Australian director is now releasing a concert film featuring the iconic singer.

People have asked how performing in such a huge, energetic arena will affect my ability to connect with the audience emotionally. Honestly, I’m not planning on just running around like crazy the whole time! I’m designing the show to be a real rollercoaster of feelings. There will be moments where everyone is jumping and screaming with excitement, and then other moments that are much more intimate and moving – maybe even bringing people to tears. I want to create a show with a lot of emotional shifts, almost like emotional whiplash, to really take everyone on a journey.

Turning 28, are you feeling the pressure of turning 30? Not at all. I used to think I’d be married with kids by now, and even trying on a wedding dress recently made me realize that’s not in my immediate future. I actually love that our generation is changing the timeline for marriage and having children. Getting older is becoming more and more exciting. I’m also happy I’m not as wild as I used to be – I don’t need to go out and overdo it with alcohol, and I’m strong enough to walk away from unhealthy relationships instead of sticking with them.

Last thing: You are or have been a Swiftie.
Currently enrolled in the program.

I really enjoyed “The Life of a Showgirl.” “Opalite” immediately stood out as my favorite track, and “Actually Romantic” reminded me a lot of “Bless Your Heart.” I appreciated how different it was from “Tortured Poets Department” – which, by the way, is one of my all-time favorite albums! It’s inspiring to see her constantly evolve her sound. Considering this is her twelfth studio album, I’m already wondering what her fifteenth one will sound like!

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2026-02-26 01:03