In 2022, country music star Megan Moroney released her very first Extended Play, “Pistol Made of Roses.” Little did she know that this would be the start of her now booming career.
Many likely know Moroney as “that girl who dated Morgan Wallen,” but to me and other fans of Moroney’s music, she is so much more than that.
Moroney started her career by picking up a guitar when she was 16 and playing songs with her father. Eventually, she competed in a talent show within her college sorority, where she found a love for songwriting and music-making.
Though “Pistol Made of Roses” is by far Megan’s least popular album / EP, fans such as myself remember listening to it and thinking how good of a singer she was. Though she was new and growing as a musician, she had a lot going for her.
Fast forward a couple of years, she created her hit single, one for which she is famously known, “Tennessee Orange.” In it, Moroney described how a boy she was seeing caused her to wear the colors of her favorite team’s rival. Country music fans suspected this song was about Morgan Wallen because Moroney had been seen wearing his shirt for the Tennessee Vols. This caused Moroney to blow up massively and is now the song for which she is most known. It is also her most-streamed song, currently with 293 million streams.
After this single, the pair seemingly broke up. They were no longer seen together or posted anything about one another, which also caused a lot of controversy among fans, who felt as though they had to pick a side. Now, Moroney has come out and said the two were never official and that the shirt she was seen wearing was his, but it was “just a shirt.” They are still friends.
Then on May 5, 2023, Moroney released her first album, “Lucky,” which grew her popularity. Songs like “Sleep on My Side” and “Girl in the Mirror” were immensely successful, and the previous single, “Tennessee Orange,” was also added to the album. The release of “Lucky” gained Moroney a lot of attention as well, though she continued to still play in small stadiums with a small fan base.
During the summer of 2024, Moroney was the opening act for Kenny Chesney on “The Sun Goes Down Tour,” which in my opinion, is where a lot of her newfound popularity sparked. While on tour in the summer of 2024, Moroney released her second album, “Am I Okay?” which blew up across the nation and brought her her second most-streamed song, “Am I Okay,” She then announced her “Am I Okay?” Tour.
The tour was a hit, and tickets sold out within minutes. More performance dates were added because tickets were in such high demand. I was one of the lucky few who secured tickets, and I am beyond overjoyed that I get to see one of my favorite artists ever this March, though I have seen her previously.
To me and many other fans, Moroney is more than just a singer and songwriter. She is a sense of comfort and a place to go when life is difficult. She has worked hard for all of her fame, which is something I really admire about her. This is also why I believe that she should be the female face of country music. Though she did get the start of her career from another artist, her amazing music is a testament that she is talented and not just a pretty face but a hard-working artist.
