Megan Moroney accepts the award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for “Tennessee Orange”… [+] CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ivan Agostini/Invision/AP)
vision
It was an extraordinary week for country music newcomer Megan Moroney. Between the sold-out show in Oklahoma and the announcement of her first performance at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in April, Moroni received Country Music Association (CMA) Award nominations for New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for her hit “Tennessee Orange”. Happened. Moroni and written by David Fanning, Paul Jenkins and Ben Williams.
As a nominee for New Artist of the Year, Moroni is sharing the ballot with high-profile newcomers Jelly Roll, Haley Whitters, Parker McCallum and Zac Bryan. But his football-inspired hit “Tennessee Orange” brought him into the big leagues with some of the strongest players in the business, including Luke Combs (“Fast Car”, written and inspired by Tracy Chapman) and Lenny Wilson (“Fast Car”). Is. Heart Like a Truck” written by Wilson, Tranny Anderson and Dallas Wilson).
While Moroni admits that this major industry endorsement is an honor, she doesn’t feel that her confidence depends on this type of recognition.
“I think, you know, my confidence doesn’t come from that kind of validation,” she told me. “It comes more internally. I work really hard all the time which makes me confident and keeps me confident. But obviously being nominated for awards like this means much more—it’s like an honor to be recognized by the national community.”
Touchdown
Moroni’s breakthrough Billboard Hot 100 hit earned her her first No. 1 at country radio, RIAA platinum certification, and winning the 2023 CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year. And it has been scoring ever since.
“Tennessee Orange” highlights the love story between a Georgia Bulldogs fan and her Tennessee-loving boyfriend. This is a relevant story on many levels. The most popular sport in the United States, football has been inspiring team spirit, tailgates, rivalries and conflicts for decades. Moroni, a Georgia native and University of Georgia graduate, writes from what she knows and her true story’s deftly poignant lyrics combined with powerhouse vocals are a touchdown. It doesn’t hurt that their home team has one of the largest fan bases in college football and Tennessee fans will be happy to challenge that finding.
Watch the official music video for “Tennessee Orange”.
Business and Branding
The 25-year-old, who started college as an accounting major, has bachelor’s degrees in digital marketing and music business and says these days her focus is evenly divided between business and creative because both are important. .
“I love being creative, but at the same time whatever decision I make to be creative or whatever I create, there’s always a business decision behind it and how to present it.”
Coincidentally, CMA Awards show co-host and football legend Peyton Manning played college ball for the University of Tennessee. Co-host Luke Bryan is a native of Georgia. Seems like good karma.
Did Moroni know these fun facts before writing the song?
“No, obviously not,” she laughs. But she knew her target audience. And then the number of listeners exploded.
“I think being in the South, it was one of those things where everybody would understand this song. So I think more people than I thought when I wrote it, you know, relate to it, just because if you care about football, you understand. But I think this song has resonated beyond people who care about football.”
While the success of “Tennessee Orange” might inspire some business-driven artists to explore a sports-driven brand, Moroni has taken control of it and shaped it around honest multidimensional storytelling , which hits all the notes from sad and happy to funny. Satirical, and informative. This is who “he is as a person in real life.”
Moroni says, “I write from personal experiences and writing songs helps me process things and move on.” She feels that the honesty shown in her confident song “I’m Not Pretty” has also impacted audiences in positive ways by speaking out about hurtful behavior and sharing the impact of bullying on social media and checking out slips. Have done.
Couple
Morni has a lot more on her plate than she ever imagined and she is thrilled. This includes their upcoming 2024 performance at country music’s largest festival Stagecoach (a country-focused festival created by Coachella organizers in 2007), held in Indio, CA and headlined by Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Morgan Waller.
“Yeah, I mean, my name is right next to the Beach Boys so it’s crazy.”
With such huge growth in the industry, is there one big duet she would like to have on her wish list?
“I would obviously love to duet with Taylor Swift one day. But I think it would be just as cool to meet her and thank her,” says Moroney, who admits that Swift’s candor and professional experiences have influenced her as much as the icon’s artistry and Era’s Tour Stamina.
“She writes from such a unique perspective, and she’s always been very honest. And she tells stories, and she never overcomplicates things. So as a lyricist, he has always inspired me. But still, as a businesswoman, she’s the reason I waited so long to sign a record deal. Because when he shared his experience, I realized how important it is to find the right team and get the right deal,” says Moroney, a Georgia Bulldog, music lover, and business savvy.
The 57th annual CMA Awards air Nov. 8 at 8/7C on ABC.
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