Megan Moroney released her third studio album, Cloud 9, on Feb. 20. Known as the “emo cowgirl” of country music, Moroney emerged as a star of the Nashville music scene in 2024. Here are our ratings of our top three favorite and least favorite songs from Cloud 9.
Our three favorite songs:
1. “Medicine” (7.6/10)
“Medicine” is an upbeat and sarcastic track. The lyrics in the chorus—“Is it bitter going down, down, down? / You don’t like it too much, do you?”—convey the song’s theme of revenge and pettiness. The repetitive nature of this song makes it catchy and fun to sing along to. — Sabine Hletko Wood
2. “6 Months Later” (7.5/10)
A departure from Moroney’s standard acoustic twang, the sound of “6 Months Later” reminded me of the popular “bubble-gum country” sound from the 2000s made popular by artists such as Taylor Swift and Shania Twain. I really enjoyed Moroney’s storytelling on this track. The refrain, “What doesn’t kill you calls you six months later,” is ridiculously catchy, and coming out strong from a breakup is relatable. I was enjoying the song until the bridge, when Monroney sings, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and blonder and hotter.” I cringed at Moroney’s sudden change of view on women. Moroney wrote a song where most of the lyrics are meant to empower women, but the song still contains a line about a stereotypical belief that having blonde hair is the most desired. — Alex Hughes
3. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (6.6/10)
This track emphasizes the pressure that celebrities, especially women, feel. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” is a reference to the famous Wizard of Oz warning about the danger ahead: “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Moroney uses motifs of nature, animals and fear to show the difficult nature of being a singer and celebrity, because the media and fans are always looking for a mistake or scandal. I like that Moroney stands up for herself against the music industry. Moroney sings, “You’re damned if you do / Arguably more damned if you don’t / What’s the secret to success? / I think no one really knows.” These lines show the double standard that stars face. Women are expected to look beautiful and maintain an uncontroversial image without working “too hard,” and men do not often face the same expectations. I also like the instrumentation: The piano and guitar start out slow but slowly build to the chorus in an uplifting way. — Sabine Hletko Wood
Our three least favorite songs:
1. “I Only Miss You” (feat. Ed Sheeran) (3.2/10)
“I Only Miss You” is an emotional track about the feelings of loss after a breakup. When I saw that Ed Sheeran was one of two features on the album, I was pretty excited. Sheeran is a legacy artist, and Sheeran’s feature certifies Moroney as a solid industry star. However, his addition felt unnatural and forced. Sheeran’s vocals are a weird mix of sultry and heartfelt—a combination which doesn’t work. The instrumentation is solid; the guitar riffs are a focal point and don’t complicate the ballad. When Ed Sheeran finally takes Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter route and drops a full-length country album, I’m anticipating disappointment. — Alex Hughes
2. “Stupid” (4.6/10)
This track is upbeat, and it feels more like pop than country, a style which differs from Moroney’s classic style. I like the guitar’s fun and catchy riffs and the claps at the end. The repeated line “No way, no way” gives the song a sing-along feel, but the rest of the lyrics sound poorly written. She continues to sing about a girl who comes off as naive for always assuming that her boyfriend has the best intentions. I especially disliked the line “He probably couldn’t spell ‘valedictorian.’” This lyric feels clunky and dumb because “valedictorian” is a long word that does not fit with the rest of the song or rhythm. — Sabine Hletko Wood
3. “Bells & Whistles” (feat. Kacey Musgraves) (5/10)
This song disappointed me; I was expecting lyrics about female empowerment, especially because two great female country singers are on the track. But the lyrics are shallow on the empowerment side: “She’s like me without the bells and the whistles” and “She don’t put on no makeup / And don’t bleach her hair” are lines that put women down. I dislike that the Moroney and Musgraves think that women are only beautiful and worthy of affection by wearing makeup and dyeing their hair. The message contrasts the message in “I’m Not Pretty,” a track on Moroney’s debut studio album, which is also about an ex’s new girlfriend. In “I’m Not Pretty,” Moroney sings about the ex’s new girlfriend in a relatable way that pokes fun at judginess from people who do not know her. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed how the singers’ voices worked together: Moroney’s and Musgrave’s harmonies were beautiful. — Sabine Hletko Wood
Alex’s overall rating: 5.1/10
Sabine’s overall rating: 6.8/10