Megan Moroney has always written like she’s telling you a secret, but on Cloud 9, she sounds like she’s finally stopped whispering.
On Friday (February 20), the multi-platinum singer-songwriter celebrated the release of her third studio album with a surprise appearance at Raising Cane’s Global Flagship in Times Square — trading arena spotlights for neon chicken-finger signs and transforming one of the busiest corners in the world into a pink-sparkled country-pop fever dream.
Fans packed the restaurant in anticipation to listen to the 28-year-old’s third full-length project. Then Moroney appeared — smiling, signing vinyl, stepping behind the counter, handing out Box Combos as her new album pulsed through the speakers. It was buzzy. It was chaotic. It was completely on-brand.
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Long before this campaign, Moroney was publicly professing her love for Cane’s, joking about her go-to order online and making it part of her personality in a way that felt distinctly unmanufactured. So when the collaboration evolved from fandom to official partnership, it didn’t require a stretch.
“My favorite thing about the Cane’s partnership is that it’s just so organic. My Twitter bio used to say, ‘Can I please get a Box Combo with an extra sauce and a Sprite,’” Moroney told press in the pre-event media session. “It’s very easy to partner with Cane’s and I love Todd [Graves], I love his story, he’s very hardworking, kind and his whole family is wonderful. It’s fun and I like to include Cane’s in all this exciting stuff.”
But beyond the selfies and Cane’s Sauce, Cloud 9 represents something far more significant: a creative reset from an artist who no longer feels the need to ask for permission.
Every rising star reaches the moment where the outside world gets louder than their own instincts.
For Moroney, that moment came after the breakout success of Lucky and the record-shattering momentum of Am I Okay? — an era that cemented her as one of country’s most compelling new voices. With billions of streams and sold-out tours under her belt, expectations were higher than ever heading into album three.
So what had to change?
When Celeb Secrets asked what she had to unlearn — about herself or about success — in order to write from a lighter, freer place, Moroney revealed that it wasn’t about reinvention but rather reclamation.
As her audience expanded, so did the commentary. The natural instinct, she explained, is to absorb it all — to adjust, to edit, to anticipate reactions. But that instinct can quietly dilute the very thing that made people care in the first place.
With Cloud 9, she made a conscious decision to block out the noise.
She reminded herself that she didn’t start writing songs to chase arenas or accolades. She writes because it helps her process her life. Because it’s therapeutic. Because it’s honest. The chart positions and sold-out venues? Those are blessings, but they’re not the mission.
That shift in mindset runs like a current through the album. You can hear it in the sharp-tongued humor of “Medicine.” You can feel it in the giddy rush of the title track. The confidence isn’t performative — it’s earned.
The phrase being “above Cloud 9” itself feels almost too sweet at first glance, like a country-pop cliché waiting to happen.
But Moroney doesn’t do clichés.
When Celeb Secrets asked what being “above Cloud 9” actually means in her real life, her answer wasn’t about career highs or award wins. It was about presence.
“Just being in the moment,” she tells Celeb Secrets among reporters in the pre-event media session. “I think it’s surrounding yourself with great people and just being excited to be alive. I feel like, I don’t know, that is not a feeling that I have all the time, of course. Because there’s highs and lows of life. But when you do get in one of those phases where you just like, wake up excited to be here, it’s like such a good feeling. And, I feel like being above “Cloud 9” kind of is that.”
She’s quick to acknowledge that life doesn’t stay in that space forever. There are always peaks and valleys. But when you hit one of those phases where joy feels uncomplicated? That’s the feeling she bottled into this record.
It’s not naive bliss. It’s self-aware joy. And that distinction is everything.
When listening to Cloud 9 from start to finish, one can tell that its expansive in more ways than one. And that’s because Moroney allowed it to be. The album features guest appearances from Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves — collaborations that read less like industry strategy and more like personal milestones.
Her track with Musgraves carries particular weight. Moroney has long cited Same Trailer, Different Park as one of the albums that inspired her to start writing songs. Now, years later, sharing a record with one of her creative North Stars feels like a quiet, cosmic affirmation.
Meanwhile, her duet with Sheeran offers a subtle genre-blurring moment that still feels rooted in country storytelling — something she noted with genuine admiration during the press session.
Behind the scenes, Moroney also stepped further into production. She co-produced select tracks and meticulously layered background vocals — sometimes stacking dozens herself — building lush textures that elevate even the most traditionally country arrangements. Even the sequencing of the album reflects intention. Though the songs weren’t written with specific slots in mind, she shaped the tracklist to create an emotional arc — one that rewards listeners who press play straight through, especially on vinyl.
Later this year, Moroney is set to take the stage on her massive CLOUD 9 TOUR, and to no surprise, her excitement is palpable.
“I’m most excited to play ‘Who Hurt You?’ I think that that one’s going to be a spiritual experience and ‘Change of Heart,’ too,” she shared. “And then obviously just seeing my fans. It’s been a while since I’ve had a headlining show, so to see everybody back in their cute outfits and singing along to every word that they knew of the songs that were out, just gets me excited to see everyone and get back to it.”
With her star shining brighter as days go by, we couldn’t help but ask Megan how she hopes people look back on this monumental era of her career ten years from now. Not focusing on awards, sales or even headlines, the Georgia native hopes that Cloud 9 is remembered as the official turning point in her career.
Millions of fans from around the world have fell in love with Megan after she splashed onto the scene with her unapologetic storytelling, catchy hooks and genre bending sounds. But after the release of Cloud 9, its time for the world to see the 28-year-old for who she truly is: an established artist that’s fully in command of her voice, her choices and her staying power. And with billions of global streams, major awards, and arena stages ahead, she’s already accomplished what many artists chase for a lifetime.
But Cloud 9 feels different. It feels like the moment she realized she doesn’t have to chase anything at all — she just has to keep telling the truth. And right now, that truth sounds like joy layered with grit, wrapped in pink, and floating somewhere just above Cloud 9.
LISTEN TO “CLOUD 9” HERE:
