Megan Moroney has happily exited her 'degenerate' era

Why did Megan Moroney leap into a swimming excavation past nighttime wearing a fluffy achromatic gown?

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

In fact, the 28-year-old state prima was filming a video for “Wedding Dress,” a chopped from her caller album, astatine a clifftop venue successful Malibu with winds nearing 30 miles an hour, Moroney reckons the pursuing morning.

“I acold plunge a batch truthful it wasn’t arsenic unspeakable arsenic you’d think,” she says. “The worst portion was I astir suffocated erstwhile the formal went implicit my head. I was like, ‘This could beryllium problematic.’ But past I calmed myself down and got the formal retired of my look and didn’t die.”

Narrated by a pistillate who fears reasoning fondly of an ex aft “I find idiosyncratic caller and I’m astir to accidental ‘I do,’” “Wedding Dress” is simply a gorgeous downer — the benignant of tune that’s made Moroney state music’s reigning “emo cowgirl” since her viral deed “Tennessee Orange” went to No. 1 successful 2023.

Yet overmuch of her 3rd LP, “Cloud 9,” strikes a much optimistic note: In the strummy rubric track, she’s truthful precocious connected a dude that she’s looking down astatine wherever she utilized to privation to be, portion “Beautiful Things” and “6 Months Later” some preach a hard-won gospel of resilience. Moroney and Kacey Musgraves squad up successful “Bells & Whistles” to roast a feline incapable of appreciating their quirks. And past there’s “I Only Miss You,” a duet with Ed Sheeran that rhymes “Why don’t you travel over?” with “My furniture keeps getting colder.” (Actually, that one’s beauteous sad.)

“Every azygous opus she’s released captures circumstantial emotions,” Sheeran says admiringly of Moroney, adding that helium and his household person kept her archetypal 2 albums connected repetition successful their house.

Over canned acold brews successful a West Hollywood edifice lounge, Moroney discussed her caller grounds and the U.S. arena circuit she’ll equine down it this summer. She wore a pinkish sweat suit successful keeping with “Cloud 9’s” artwork, 1 of respective identical numbers she says she’s got successful rotation astatine the moment. Would she attraction to outcry retired the designer?

“Oh, it’s conscionable Skims,” she says, referring to Kim Kardashian’s covering brand. “I don’t deliberation they request immoderate selling help.”

“Cloud 9” is your 3rd medium successful little than 3 years. Why enactment truthful fast?
Why not? I constitute a lot, and I person to constitute erstwhile I’m feeling the things that I feel. I can’t hold six months to constitute astir it — I’ll beryllium implicit it by then.

Anyone astatine the grounds institution ever inquire you to dilatory your roll?
They ever bash a backflip erstwhile I accidental I person caller music. For them it’s similar a surprise: “Here it is, mixed and mastered — anticipation you similar it.” And it’s beauteous overmuch delivered with the visuals. At the precise beginning, I convinced them: Until I [mess] it up, conscionable fto maine bash it.

Why’d this 1 extremity up comparatively sunny?
There was a batch of figuring retired my beingness successful the archetypal 2 albums — I’m begging for this dude oregon I’m staying with this feline mode excessively long. There were nary situationships successful this medium — I didn’t enactment successful thing that was toxic. I deliberation it’s besides conscionable maine getting older and knowing what I’m doing present a small bit. The much assured you are, the much feminine and brushed you tin be.

Kenny Chesney told Rolling Stone precocious that you “couldn’t attraction little astir being a celebrity.” That feels not close to me.
My songs ever travel archetypal — I deliberation that’s astir apt what his instrumentality was.

OK, but cipher puts arsenic overmuch thought into their presumption arsenic you bash without being funny successful the mechanics of stardom.
That’s amusive for me, though. I was a selling major. When I moved to Nashville, I was like, “If this doesn’t enactment out, I’d beryllium conscionable arsenic blessed moving for a statement connected the selling team.” I consciousness similar if I cared, I’d beryllium — I don’t cognize if I tin accidental this, actually.

Go ahead.
I’d beryllium winning awards. I don’t bash overmuch of that. If personage was my goal, I consciousness similar I’d beryllium failing a small bit.

Do you consciousness understood arsenic a superior songwriter?
I deliberation so. A batch of comments I spot are “I hatred her dependable but she’s a bully songwriter.” I’m like, “So you deliberation I’m a bully songwriter?” My lyrics are ever astatine the forefront of everything, and I effort to marque that known.

What person you gotten amended astatine arsenic a lyricist?
Not [caring]. “Oh, however the turns person tabled” [in “6 Months Later”] — I wouldn’t person done that connected my archetypal 2 albums. Now radical recognize my property and they’re like, “It’s an ‘Office’ reference.” Or “God, I hatred however gross you are” [in “Who Hurt You?”]. It’s not truly poetic but that’s precisely however I felt erstwhile we were penning the song. Sometimes authenticity beats poesy for me.

You’ve got immoderate skilled songwriters connected this album: Jessie Jo Dillon, Amy Allen, Luke Laird. What are you looking for successful a co-writer?
A protagonist of my insane ideas and concepts. I benignant of constitute backwards — I commencement with the hook and past archer the communicative that way. So I conscionable look for radical who, erstwhile I accidental the hook, they’re jumping up and down similar I was erstwhile it came into my brain.

“What doesn’t termination you calls you six months later” — that’s astir arsenic cleanable arsenic Nashville wordplay gets.
Originally, it was “3 Months Later,” but past I was like, That’s not agelong enough. Three months and they’re inactive sleeping astir with their ex-girlfriends. Six months aboriginal is astir the clip they realize: I [messed] up.

Ed Sheeran invited you to perform with him past twelvemonth astatine Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe.
His squad reached retired to my squad — I was like, “Is each different state creator not successful municipality this weekend? Is that wherefore I’m getting the call?” I really had a abrogation planned, and I canceled the abrogation due to the fact that erstwhile Ed Sheeran calls, you driblet what you’re doing and you go. I could archer instantly that helium nerds retired astir songwriting similar I do. We emailed for a portion — the iPad rumors are existent — and yet we started sending songs backmost and forth. I springiness him each the recognition for picking the ace accepted state song.

Your duet is astir apt the oldest-fashioned happening connected “Cloud 9.”
The harmonies punctual maine of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. I anticipation it becomes the caller “Picture” by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock — the caller drunk-at-2-a.m. karaoke duet.

I work that you and Kacey Musgraves went to a Paul McCartney performance together.
We did. Well, we didn’t spell unneurotic — turned retired we were sat adjacent to each other. She went to get a portion and she came backmost and was like, “When’s helium gonna play ‘Blackbird’”? I was like, “I’ve got horrible quality — helium played it solo acoustic 5 minutes ago.” She was like, “[S]hut up.” So that was the item of Paul McCartney. I can’t judge helium inactive does specified agelong performances. My backmost wounded watching him.

What’s the grooming regimen for your tour?
Lots of cardio. Treadmill portion singing. Lagree 3 to 4 times a week.

I don’t cognize what Lagree is.
It’s similar Pilates but harder. There’s a spot successful L.A. that killed maine — I couldn’t locomotion decently after. If you bash Lagree and an crystal bath successful the morning, past the worst portion of your time is already over. That’s however I look astatine it: Anything that comes my mode contiguous volition not suck arsenic overmuch arsenic this sucks close now. There’s besides a fare of immoderate benignant — debased sugar, nary carbs, conscionable nutrient and vegetables. I’m benignant of copying Kenny and his regular due to the fact that helium gets successful brainsick shape. He does a freaking 31-day foodstuff cleanse. I tried to bash a foodstuff cleanse successful assemblage and by Day 2 I wanted to die. I’m not that committed.

How bash you deliberation the diversion quality of a large arena amusement volition interaction your quality to emote?
I won’t beryllium Benson Boone-ing. There are songs wherever we’ll each beryllium jumping up and down and screaming, and past determination are songs wherever we’ll beryllium hugging a neighbour that’s crying. I’m gathering it retired present truthful that there’s astir affectional whiplash passim the show.

You’re 28. Do you consciousness 30 breathing down your neck?
No. When I was younger, I astir apt thought that by 30 I’d beryllium joined with children. Even maine trying connected a wedding formal yesterday made maine laughter due to the fact that I was like, “This is not happening for maine anytime soon.” I emotion that our procreation is bumping backmost the clip successful which it’s acceptable to get joined and person children. The older I get, it conscionable keeps getting much exciting. I’m benignant of gladsome that I’m not truthful overmuch of a degenerate anymore. I don’t person to spell retired and portion 8 tequilas, and I tin permission a toxic narration alternatively of letting it destruct my life.

Last thing: You are oregon person been a Swiftie.
Currently enrolled successful the program.

What’s your instrumentality connected “The Life of a Showgirl”?
Love it. “Opalite” was my No. 1 erstwhile I archetypal listened. And I loved “Actually Romantic” — benignant of gave maine “Bless Your Heart” vibes. I loved that it was truthful antithetic from “Tortured Poets Department.” “Tortured Poets” is 1 of my favourite albums of each clip — it’s a masterpiece. But for her to support reinventing herself is truthful inspiring for me, who’s zipping done these archetypal 3 albums. “Life of a Showgirl” was TS12. What’s MM12 gonna beryllium like?