Donald Trump has made it weirdly difficult to enjoy a lot of otherwise apolitical country music. Even when a record has nothing to do with him, the cultural static lingers like a low hum beneath the pedal steel. On ‘Cloud 9’, Megan Moroney largely tunes it out by doubling down on what she does best: sharp, self-aware dispatches from the women left cleaning up after charming idiots.
6 Months Later is the cleanest strike. A ghosting ex crawls back; Moroney bats him away with a half-smile, her Georgia drawl tightening around every punchline. It’s playful but exacting — the kind of song that reminds us why Tennessee Orange cut through in 2022. She’s fluent in the female perspective in a genre long dominated by barstool confessionals from men who “didn’t mean to” but absolutely did.
Medicine bottles that same cartoon vengeance, serving revenge chilled and radio-ready. It’s wicked without tipping into cruelty — Tammy Wynette in the group chat.
Wish I Didn’t aims bigger, an arena-sized belt built on the idea that songs can wound as cleanly as weapons. It’s sleek, effective, and just slightly over-polished.
The tell comes with Liars & Tigers & Bears, a note to her younger self about surviving Music Row. “Work ’til it kills you but don’t actually die,” she sings, a line that captures the industry’s demand for endless graft wrapped in agreeable gloss.
It recalls something the Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier once said: “American studios give directors money to educate them away from their creative fingerprint, even if that fingerprint is why they were hired.” Nashville can operate the same way — sanding down quirks in pursuit of scale.
There are moments where ‘Cloud 9’ coasts, its pristine finish buffing away the mess that once made Moroney thrilling. But when she lets her fangs show, she’s still a compelling narrator. And, in a moment when politics has soured the backdrop of mainstream country, that preserved personality — however buffed — feels quietly defiant.
Megan Moroney Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed September 23 2026 - LONDON Eventim Apollo
Sat September 26 2026 - MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
Sun September 27 2026 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Mon September 28 2026 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Thu October 01 2026 - BELFAST SSE Arena Belfast
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