I was brought to the top of the sky after listening to Megan Moroney’s third album, “Cloud Nine,” which dropped on Feb. 20. Her lyrical wisdom, humor and vulnerability shone through on every track.
The pink-hued color palette of the album cover was the cherry on top of the true girlhood that was emulated. The eponymous track brings listeners into the album and immediately takes them to a place of daydreaming mastery.
Personally, the chorus made me feel warmth and relaxation with “I’m walking on sunshine, holding your hand / You’re putting stars in my eyes like no one else can.” When you are on top of the cloud, the beginning of the relationship is giddy. Moroney encapsulates what the honeymoon phase feels like, transporting listeners to a moment of carefreeness.
Each song also slowly brings you back down to reality. The next track, “Medicine,” is a sassy, playful type of country song I could see myself dancing with girlfriends. This is shown by her chorus, “Ain’t as fun when it’s happening to you / Oh, poor, poor you, now, who’s the fool? / Say I’m messing with your head again / Well, how you like the taste of your own medicine?”
Rather than expressing her anger, Moroney playfully taunts listeners. The repeated “Oh, poor, poor, you” drips with sarcasm and pokes fun at the subject. It exaggerates this hypocritical suffering into absurdity, which helps her turn it into playful instead of sad.
The catchy chorus just makes you want to throw your arms up and take in all of Moroney’s lyrical wisdom.
Her ability to turn heartbreak into spiritedness and vulnerability is why this album is a hit for me. Moroney shows that her songs are far from impersonal, and the emotional clarity that was shown in “Beautiful Things” made it the most beautiful battle cry song for girls everywhere.
This song strings together heartbreak, self-doubt and strong wisdom. The line, “Words can make a mockingbird forget they’re born to sing,” displays her lyrical mastery.
Ed Sheeran was featured on the track “I Only Miss You,” a heartbreak song with the perfect balance of country and pop. This reminded me of Moroney’s song “Heaven By Noon” from her previous album: “Am I Okay?”
Moroney once again wasn’t afraid to showcase grief in this peaceful duet with Sheeran. My only complaint is that Sheeran sounded like he was trying to emulate himself as country… just be the lovely British man you are! Whether it’s grieving a lost loved one or a hard break-up, anyone experiencing sadness can find a place in this song.
The album’s slower songs are where her creativity and lyrical genius truly shine through, especially on “Bells & Whistles,” a collaboration with Kacey Musgraves. It relays a sense of relatability about the insecurity and comparison of womanhood that Moroney conveys with all her songs.
The song sends the message to accept who you are, even when you feel like you are not enough.
The final track, “Waiting On The Rain,” is a perfect way to descend after a whirlwind journey of tales spun in this album. Everything seems to be fine in the situation she’s describing, but we’re waiting for the “boot to drop,” as Moroney would say.
I thought it was a perfect ending for “Cloud Nine.” It is a pretty devastating song, such as the line “And I’ll leave us in the past / I’ll forget the way he laughs.” However, there is this underlying tone of “the show that must go on” that reflects lessons learned from the journeys showcased in the album’s previous 14 songs.
This album was the “Medicine” I needed after a long, harsh winter. “Beautiful Things” are bound to keep coming Moroney’s way from her vulnerability depicted in each track.
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