Country listeners have become very keen to smash-hit Megan Moroney. Moroney can be described as a pop-country Sabrina Carpenter; with quick-witted lyrics and an upbeat southern twang, she’s the Georgia girl turned popstar that never had a reason to take off the boots. Her first studio album, Lucky, released in 2023, with her sophomore album Am I Okay? following suit in 2024. With a few nominations from the Academy of Country Music, Moroney is still a rising artist in the genre.
Moroney’s 3rd album, Cloud 9, released Friday, Feb. 20. However, select NYC based top fans on Spotify were invited to an album release party to celebrate with Moroney and her team on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The event included photo-ops, freebies, a Q&A with Megan and her songwriting team and a live performance of eight songs on the fifteen-track album.
Fans started lining up as early as 5P.M. for the 8P.M. ticket only event. Tickets were free for all attendees but on an invitation-only basis. Due to the weather being roughly thirty-five degrees, Moroney’s team came around handing out hand warmers. The line for the event was over three blocks long and while guests could request tickets, entry was not guaranteed.
Moroney’s team started letting guests in around 8:20 P.M. and everything was bright pink – the color theme of this album. Guests were met with a complimentary coat check and “Cloud 9 State of Mind” themed disposable cameras. Moroney is known for each of her albums having a distinctive bright color, her first one being emerald green, the second being royal blue and now this one, being hot pink. There was a photo-op mirroring the window from her album cover to the left of the entrance and a photo booth to the right.
When fans stepped down into the venue, they were automatically transported to the world of Cloud 9. The stage had a huge Spotify symbol surrounded by bright pink lighting and glitter was falling from the air. To follow with the theming, they also provided pink cotton candy as well as popcorn, soft pretzels and an open bar of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Moroney came out with her song writing team forty-five minutes into the event for the Q&A portion. She shared lots of details of how the album came to be, including how this album felt like the “pink album”. Moroney got fans excited when she shared that “for this album I just said it with my chest. For ‘Am I Okay?’ there were some lines that I changed so that they weren’t Googleable to figure out who the songs were about and stuff, but this time I was like F it! I’m just gonna say it.”
This album features two tracks with featured artists Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves. Moroney anecdotally spoke about being a long-time fan of both artists, especially Musgraves sharing that she “met her outside of her tour bus on Oct. 4, 2014, and on Oct. 4, 2025 [she] got the song back with her singing on it,” creating a truly full circle moment for the artist.
Moroney’s performance set was nothing short of vibrant. Four songs from the album that Moroney performed were pre-released, but fans had the joy of hearing four new ones before the true release. She began the set with the title track “Cloud 9” and swiftly interchanged known hits with new sounds. From her previously released songs, she played “Beautiful Things”, “Wish I Didn’t” and “6 Months Later”, the latter of which has been a hit in the country music world since it’s release this summer. Out of her newly released songs Moroney performed “Medicine”, “Wedding Dress”, “Liars & Tigers & Bears” and “Who Hurt You?”.
This album has a classic pop-country feel to it, similar to the likings of early 2000s Taylor Swift and more recent works by Kelsea Ballerini. Megan Moroney’s Cloud 9 event was built with true heart for fans, from each detail in the pink ambience to the free gifts. Very few music artists still take the time to give back to the people who are their top fans, but thanks to Spotify and Megan Moroney, NYC based fans were left with pink-glitter filled memories that will last a lifetime.
