It’s not everyday you get to meet country singer-songwriter and Nashville local Megan Moroney on the damp streets of South London, complete with an umbrella holding bodyguard. But that’s why I love this job. Growing up in Douglasville, Georgia, she spent her teenage years dissecting Eagles lyrics with her dad and dreaming of Nashville. Now 28, she has three albums to her name, arena tours on two continents, and a New York Times designation as the reigning queen of sad-girl country. She accepts the title with characteristic dry wit. “I’m not mad about it,” she tells us, laughing.

Cloud 9, her third studio album, arrived on February 20th to the kind of anticipation only a handful of artists can generate. The New York Times named it one of the seven most anticipated albums of 2026. With collaborations alongside Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves, the record marks a full-circle moment for a woman who credits those artists, alongside Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, with getting her through the harder years. “If I didn’t have their music, I would’ve been set back,” she says. “They truly helped me.”

The album is, by her own description, the work of the strongest, most confident version of herself she has ever been. The songs are still about heartbreak, still shot through with the country candour her fans love. But there is steel beneath the sweetness now. On lead single “Wish I Didn’t,” she issues a warning to a walking red flag, her weapon of choice the notebook. “If someone breaks my heart or does something stupid,” she says, “they should probably expect it to show up in a lyric at some point.”

We met her on a blustery March morning on the streets of Kennington, in the weeks before her headline Cloud 9 Tour sweeps across North America and, later this autumn, Europe. She is funny, candid, and disarmingly honest about the gap between knowing better and doing it anyway. She has always written from that gap. It’s where the best songs live.

In the song you sing, “Consider this a warning, you’ve got one shot to listen // I think I’m falling for you, don’t make me wish I didn’t.” What headspace were you in when you wrote that line?

I wrote that from a place of knowing better… but also knowing I probably wasn’t going to listen to myself anyway. It’s that moment where you can already see the red flags, but you’re still hoping maybe this time it’ll turn out differently. The line is basically bracing myself for the fact that I might end up writing another sad song about it. Spoiler alert — I did.

The song has been described as a “warning to a walking red flag.” What is it about a red flag that can still feel so irresistible?

I think sometimes the red flags come with the most excitement. The guy who’s a little chaotic or unpredictable can feel way more interesting than the safe option. It’s like you know it’s probably not a great idea, but part of you is curious how the story ends. Unfortunately for the guy… if it ends badly, it usually becomes a song.

The lyric “Stone cold killers have guns // But I’ve got songs” is such a standout moment in the track. What inspired that line?

That line is basically my version of revenge. I’m not someone who’s going to scream at you or cause a scene — I’m just going to go write about it. Songwriting is my way of processing everything that happens in my life. So if someone breaks my heart or does something stupid… they should probably expect it to show up in a lyric at some point.

The song is incredibly high-energy and layered. Did you approach producing or writing this track any differently from your previous singles?

A little bit, yeah. We wanted the track to feel like the emotional chaos of the story. The lyrics are kind of playful and sarcastic, but underneath it there’s still that heartbreak element that I always lean into. So we built the production to feel big and energetic, almost like the confident version of a sad-girl song.

You’ve said this album was written by the “strongest, most confident version” of yourself. How did Megan change personally between albums?

I think I just learned to trust myself more. The first record was me figuring out who I was as an artist and a songwriter. On the second, I felt planted in who I was and believed what I wrote in “Girl In The Mirror.” With this album, I felt more confident making decisions, speaking up about my career and personal life, and leaning into my own instincts. I’m still writing about heartbreak and emotions, but it’s coming from a much stronger version of myself.

The New York Times featured Cloud 9 in their “7 Albums I’m Looking Forward to in 2026.” How did that moment feel? Does it add pressure or fuel to the fire?

Growing up, you don’t imagine something you made in a songwriting room in Nashville ending up on a list like that. I try not to think of it as pressure — it’s more motivation. It just makes me want to keep making music that people care about, but more importantly that makes a difference in people’s lives.

All the girlies want to know — what was it like working with Dylan Efron on the set of “Wish I Didn’t”?

He was awesome! He was such a good sport about everything we put him through in the video. Music video days can be really long, but he kept the energy fun the whole time. What I loved is that Dylan really wanted to make sure he got the part right, which I appreciated.

The New York Times also called you the “reigning queen of sad-girl country.” How do you feel about that title?

I’m not mad about it. I’ve always written songs that are a little emotional and a little dramatic, so if that puts me in the sad-girl category I’ll take it. But I think what people connect to is honesty. Everyone has felt heartbreak or disappointment before, and country music has always been a place where you can tell those stories.

You’re the only country artist featured on some of these major anticipation lists in the media. Do you feel like you’re redefining country-pop?

I don’t think I sit down trying to redefine anything. I just write songs that feel honest to me. I grew up loving traditional country storytelling, but I also listened to a lot of pop music. So naturally those influences show up in the songs. If that ends up bringing new listeners into country music, that’s pretty cool.

Your platform and fan community is growing massively. How do you stay grounded creatively?

The songwriting room keeps me grounded. At the end of the day it’s still just me and a couple of writers who I consider some of my best friends, sitting around trying to tell the truth about what I’ve experienced. That part hasn’t changed since before anyone knew my name, and I hope it never does.

Be honest — have you ever known something was a bad idea and still done it “for the plot”?

Absolutely. Probably more times than I should admit. But the good news is those usually end up being the best songs.

Your glam game has been incredible lately. Is this your most high-fashion era yet? Any designers you’d love to collaborate with?

I’ve definitely had more fun experimenting with fashion during this era. The Cloud 9 world is very dreamy and pink and sparkly, so we’ve leaned into that visually. I love pieces that feel feminine but still a little playful. Collaborating with designers who love storytelling through fashion would be really cool.

Which artists inspire you the most — country or otherwise?

I’ve always loved artists who are great storytellers. Obviously legends like Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves were huge inspirations for me growing up. But I also pull inspiration from artists outside the country genre too — my dad had me dissecting the lyrics “Desperado” by the Eagles at a very young age. Anyone who can make you feel something with a song is inspiring to me.

Interview Niya Morrissey

Photography Jack Alexander

Fashion Lindsey Dupuis Bledsoe

Hair and make-up Jaeda Marie

Top image credits – Latex dress Elissa Poppy Shoes Malone Souliers Earrings Alessandra Rich Coat Unreal Fur