Grammy Contender Megan Moroney is More Than Okay

Fresh off the SoFi Stadium stage, where Megan Moroney opened for Kenny Chesney — a country-star-in-waiting initiation if ever there was one — the 26-year-old is still marveling at her L.A. experience. The previous night, she broke a personal record for merchandise sales, and the next day, she gets to celebrate with menu items rarely found in her home state of Georgia, like a beet juice flight. But first, “Need to order bread,” says Moroney, a bona fide beauty whose bright blue eyes mesmerize in music videos and more so in person, before settling on a sensible grilled shrimp al pastor for her main.

Considering the last time she played in town was at the Troubadour for the release of her 2023 album Lucky, Moroney’s journey is truly the stuff of Hollywood dreams.

It began with an anthemic love song called “Tennessee Orange” which demonstrated her craft for songwriting and drew comparisons to Taylor Swift. Her prowess for branding (skills she developed as a marketing major in college) and sense of purpose led her to ex-Sugarland member Kristian Bush whose production skills helped define the Moroney sound.

In July, she released Am I Okay and sat down with Los Angeles after it charted in the Top 10.

Opening for Kenny Chesney is almost like a rite of passage for a developing country artist.

The tour has been so much fun, being able to learn from him and take notes. He's so supportive too, and I know he doesn't have to be. There's some artists that you open for, and it's like, oh, I'm just doing this and this is what it is. But he's very involved. Like he was actually the one that texted me about the merch numbers the day after the L.A. show. And when my record came out, the next morning, he goes, “These are my top picks. I’d love to hear this on the radio; I love the melody on this song.” He just cares.

You’re signed to Columbia Records (home to Adele, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus) and Sony Nashville. How does that work?

Usually what country artists do is, when they have a pop song, they would activate that other label that they signed with. But I could see the value in each of them. Like I know that I am a country artist, so I can't have my middle finger up to Nashville. I want to do everything in Nashville that a country artist does so I absolutely need them. But I could see how proactive the Columbia label was marketing-wise. They work together, which is unique. when I was signing the deal, I sat them down and was, like, “I want both of you equally and I'm not going to be able to pick just one of y'all. We're all friends, and we're gonna do this, and you'll have to share me, OK?” … No one wants me to succeed more than I do. And they've made it work, which I'm thankful for.

Your songs — like “No Caller ID” — often reference the phone. Do you consider technology an emotional experience?

Our phones are, unfortunately, a large part of our lives. You can say something like, “Your phone's gonna die, and then you put it on silent,” and that's like, “Oh, fuck.” That's a feeling. We're all mad at him now. I just try not to overthink writing songs. I'm trying to be as honest as possible.

How do you stay mentally healthy?

I got a therapist. Because it was such a big change — being a normal college graduate then seeing your face everywhere. You know, you play for thousands of people and then you go sit on a tour bus and it's quiet. I needed therapy to figure out how to deal with that and to just balance. I wanted to make sure the internet didn't just eat me alive.

What was the first Taylor Swift song you fell in love with?

“Teardrops On My Guitar.” I grew up listening to her and she got me through my first heartbreak. In every aspect, she's changed the game of the music industry. Seeing her on the Eras Tour, she’s setting a new bar. For three hours every night she’s captivating the crowd. She just works her ass off.

Wigs, white cowboy boots and rhinestone hats are your go-tos. How do you choose your look for a project or tour?

When I decided what my stage look would be, I knew I didn't want to wear jean shorts and a regular shirt. I want it to be flashy and exciting. My biggest thing was, I need to create a look and a character that people can dress up as for Halloween.

What does a song like “I'm Not Pretty” say about beauty standards today?

It’s an empowering, confident anthem for the girls. It has less to do with physical beauty and more like how it makes me feel when I sing. Like, “If you tell me I'm not going to go do this, I'm going to go do it.”

You co-directed the video for “I’m Not Pretty.” What are its visual inspirations?

I really just wanted to tell the story of two different characters that are both me. The moral of the music video is: the girls that were being nasty and mean had a really hard time at life. Like, they're burning their cakes. And the girls that are nice and getting along, they could open the oven and the cake is already iced. It’s metaphorical. You don't want to be the mean girl in “I'm Not Pretty.” The girl who’s hateful for no reason is going to be more miserable.

Are there days when you feel like a brunette?

Not really, no. I think it takes a lot more energy to hate people. If I disagree with someone or don't like them, I just don't give them any energy.

With artists like Beyonce and Shaboozey expanding the sound of the genre, what does that say about the state of country music?

I think it's very exciting. Country always had sub genres
– like Zach Bryan is very traditional and then you have Shaboozey that’s more pop-leaning and there's listeners that like both of those things. It’s really cool to see the Billboard top 10 every week — Post Malone has been in there and that's bringing people into country... to me, what makes country country is honest storytelling. Sound-wise, there's room for all of it.

What would a Grammy mean to you?

Oh God. That’s something my brain can’t process. To even be nominated would be a dream come true. A Grammy is like the award of all awards.

A shorter version of this story first appeared in the October 2024 issue of Los Angeles magazine, on newsstands now; click here to subscribe today.