LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Not so long before her platinum-selling single 鈥淭ennessee Orange鈥� became inescapable on country radio, this year scoring Megan Moroney her (song of the year and artist of the year), the up-and-comer was attending the University of Georgia. The life of a country musician? It wasn't supposed to happen.
鈥淚t is truly crazy because I went to school to be an accountant,鈥� Moroney tells The Associated Press. 鈥淎nd here we are.鈥�
Fate clearly had other plans. When she was a freshman, Moroney opened for singer John Langston at a sorority event, performing a few covers. There, she met Chase Rice, who told her she could open for her at the Georgia Theater 鈥� but she needed to write an original song, first.
"So, I wrote my first song, called 鈥楽tay A Memory,' and I performed it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 didn't put it out, but maybe one day I'll tease it.鈥�
After that show, she knew she wanted to move to Nashville and pursue music 鈥� but first, she switched her major to focus on music business and interned with , who'd later produce her stellar debut album, 2023's 鈥淟ucky.鈥�
After graduating in 2020, she moved to Nashville, and in 2022, released a debut EP, 鈥淧istol Made of Roses,鈥� catching the attention of all-star songwriters who she'd eventually work with on 鈥淟ucky,鈥� like Lori McKenna, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon. The rest is only history because of the strength of her songwriting 鈥� 鈥渆mo cowgirl" music, as she calls it.
That's evidenced throughout 鈥淟ucky鈥� from the deceptively optimistic 鈥淪ad Songs for Sad People,鈥� to the and June Carter-referencing 鈥淲hy Johnny鈥� to the opener 鈥淚'm Not Pretty,鈥� with its Gen Z -level acuity: 鈥淒id you mean to double-tap that Spring Break throwback from 2016 in PCB?,鈥� she sings on the track, a reference to Southeastern Conference (SEC) college football, social media doom scrolling, the devastation of past relationships and the universal experience of 鈥渃reeping or getting creeped on,鈥� as she puts it.
It's also apparent on the acoustic self-worth ballad, 鈥淕irl in the Mirror," which follows a simple chord progression and a woman sacrificing her agency in a relationship and learning to reclaim autonomy afterward. 鈥淚 think 鈥楪irl in the Mirror鈥� has the most important message of all the songs on the record,鈥� she says.
It's the tear-jerker live, too. 鈥淭hat's the one where girls are hugging their friends, group crying, like, having a full-on therapy session."
All roads lead to the career-making 鈥淭ennessee Orange," where Moroney, a Georgia Bulldog through and through, puts on University of Tennessee colors for a partner. It's a football love song, one about the concessions people make in the name of affection and intimacy 鈥� and the track that fast-tracked Moroney into the country spotlight.
鈥淚t's, like, not a conventional love song,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think people can tell that I don鈥檛 write too many of those because I鈥檓 just like, not great at it. But it鈥檚 like, 鈥業鈥檓 not madly in love with you, but I will wear a color for you and a shirt because I care about you.鈥� I think that was just my cheeky songwriting coming through with that one. But yeah, I definitely don鈥檛 belong in Tennessee Orange as .鈥�
For that reason, she didn't expect 鈥淭ennessee Orange鈥� to be her breakout hit. 鈥淚f I would have thought, like, 鈥榳hat is my breakout moment going to be?鈥� It wasn鈥檛 going to be a song that was recorded, mixed, mastered and turned in in 48 hours,鈥� she says.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing about putting out music," she adds. 鈥淵ou just don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to resonate with people.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
