By Rory McNelley, Education and Enrichment Coordinator 

Megan Moroney released her third studio album “Cloud 9” last Friday, which was teased as a lover girl summer soundtrack, but landed more with recent breakup victims. 

Moroney, who is a self-proclaimed emo cowgirl, produces country music centered around her love life, mainly consisting of negative experiences. Her first studio album was an introduction to the world of country music – including songs like “I’m Not Pretty” and “Girl in the Mirror” that tell the story of her own self-image journey. 

Her most recent album was teased by four singles including “6 Months Later,” “Beautiful Things,” “Wish I Didn’t” and “Cloud 9.” The first of the three reflects her denial of her ex’s request to try again six months after the breakup. This teased a more powerful, anti-man attitude for the album. 

The second is a beautifully slow song about how younger years can be tough considering friend and boy troubles. Moroney encourages the listener that they are made for beautiful things and conveys an attitude of “not letting the haters get you down.”

The album’s title track “Cloud 9” explains the euphoric feeling of waking up next to someone you love. The lyrics, “Waitress asked me, “Is Pepsi fine?”/ I wanted a Coke but said “It’s more than alright”/ And the rush-hour traffic, no, it can’t get to me,” reflect Moroney’s “Cloud 9” feelings surrounding her newfound love. “Wish I Didn’t” explores the early moments of a potential relationship where Moroney explains, “Don’t make me wish I didn’t get dressed up; let you take me out,” portraying her hope for the relationship’s future. 

These two songs made me, and many other listeners, fall under the impression that this album was going to be perfect for newly established relationships and honeymoon phases. When the album was released in full on Friday, this was not the case. 

Songs from the album like “Wedding Dress” and “Medicine” release her anger toward a potential male counterpart with lines from “Wedding Dress” explaining how much she misses someone and “Medicine” outlining her attempt for revenge. 

“Wedding Dress” includes the repeated line, “Let me miss him now/ But God, don’t let me miss him in a wedding dress.” The singles, which raised my hopes for some amazing Moroney love songs, seemed to be the odd ones out on this album. This song and others from the album come back to Moroney’s emo cowgirl style of sad breakup songs. 

“Medicine” paints a story of Moroney’s revenge plot, giving a man the “taste of his own medicine” as she phrases it. Lines like, “Hey don’t blame me when you can’t sleep/ Busy pacing back and forth/ I’m just doing once, what you’ve done to me/ a thousand times before,” leave listeners with no hope for a happy relationship for Moroney. 

Overall, the music on the album is impeccable and Moroney has a lot of talent. Though many have been disappointed in the underwhelming release of more sad and mad songs. Fans have taken to TikTok to share their frustration stating things like: “Dancing to Megan’s new man hater album in a loving relationship” and “Thought this album was for the girlfriends, guess I’ll go breakup with him”.

There is no doubt this album is enjoyable, and some of Moroney’s best work, but it seems that fans will have to rely on her two fun loving singles to satisfy their lover girl summer soundtrack.