Photo: Amber Asaly
Megan Moroney wrote her highly-anticipated third studio album in a season of “pure joy” and “a newfound confidence.”
Moroney shared a handwritten note on Instagram on Thursday (February 19), hours before Cloud 9 makes its debut. She thanked her fans, sharing that her new record was largely written during her headlining run on the “Am I Okay? Tour” after the release of her sophomore project of the same title. Moroney said the “pure joy” from her crowds inspired many of the ideas for Cloud 9, which offers “a newfound confidence,” along with “humor, honesty, heartbreak (duh), softness and love” throughout the record (and all-star collaborations).
“My 3rd studio album, Cloud 9, is out tonight at midnight!” Moroney wrote. “Before you listen, I just want to say thank you to every single one of you! I had the most fun I’ve ever had writing these songs/dreaming up this world and a majority of this album was created right in the midst of the ‘Am I Okay? Tour.’ The pure joy y’all brought me night after night resulted in so many of these songs and ideas so I can’t thank y’all enough for inspiring me.
“There’s a newfound confidence woven throughout Cloud 9 along with humor, honesty, heartbreak (duh), softness and love,” she continued. “It’s got everything I love about country music. Never in a million years would I have guessed I’d have songs with Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves, but I hope it inspires any and all dreamers out there to keep going. Your wildest dreams are not out of reach.”
Moroney reiterated her thankfulness for her fans, and said she’s “excited” and “grateful” in the hours ahead of Cloud 9’s long-awaited debut. “It’s a long way down. I hope you love it. See you soon.”
1. “Cloud 9” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Ernest Keith Smith)*
2. “Medicine” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
3. “6 Months Later” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Rob Hatch, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
4. “Stupid” (Megan Moroney, Amy Allen, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
5. “Beautiful Things” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
7. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
7. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
8. “I Only Miss You (ft. Ed Sheeran)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, and Ed Sheeran)*
9. “Wedding Dress” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, and Colin Healy)+
10. “Change of Heart” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
11. “Bells & Whistles (ft. Kacey Musgraves)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
12. “Table for Two” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)^
13. “Wish I Didn't” (Megan Moroney, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird)*
14. “Who Hurt You?” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
15. “Waiting on the Rain” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
* Produced by Kristian Bush
+ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney, additional production by Kristian Bush
^ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney
After releasing her third studio record, Moroney will kick off her headlining arena tour this spring. See the full list of tour stops below.
“I am so excited for my fans and I to dive into this new world of Cloud 9 together,” Moroney said in a statement when she announced Cloud 9. “Similar to the first two albums, it’s all written about honest, personal experiences, but these songs were written by the strongest, most confident version of myself I’ve ever been. My feet feel firmly planted in my artistry and it was fun to play around sonically, while still sticking to my roots of what my fans and I love. Cloud 9 is a state of mind, and I have no doubt this will be the best chapter yet.”
MAY
29 | Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
30 | Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
JUNE
2 | Chicago, IL – United Center
3 | Chicago, IL – United Center
5 | Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
6 | Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum
8 | Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
9 | Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
12 | Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
13 | St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
16 | Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
18 | Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
19 | Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
20 | Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
JULY
6 | Boston, MA – TD Garden
7 | Boston, MA – TD Garden
9 | Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
10 | Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
11 | Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
14 | Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
16 | Orlando, FL – Kia Center
17 | Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena
18 | Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
24 | Monticello, IA – Great Jones County Fair
25 | Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
26 | Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
28 | Denver, CO – Ball Arena
AUGUST
1 | Portland, OR – Moda Center
2 | Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
5 | Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
7 | Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
8 | Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11 | Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
14 | Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
15 | Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
16 | Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
18 | Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
21 | Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
22 | Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
SEPTEMBER
13 | Oslo, NO – Sentrum Scene
15 | Stockholm, SE – Annexet
18 | Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria
19 | Tilburg, NL – 013 Poppodium
21 | Paris, FR – Le Trianon
23 | London, UK – Eventim Apollo
26 | Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo
27 | Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
28 | Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
OCTOBER
1 | Belfast, UK – SSE Arena