American country music has long been bashed by critics as harping too much on the same old themes of beer, trucks, and girls. But not all its artists are having an easy time finding love outside of their songs.
Megan Moroney, a rising star in the genre of contemporary country, has been the center of multiple relationship rumors since entering the spotlight. But as she detailed in a recent interview, her love life isn’t as glamorous as her fans may imagine it to be.
According to the 27-year-old Georgia native, she has “never been” as “dialed in with [her] career” before now. Moroney added that, because she is so focused on her work, she doesn’t “have time” to enter into a serious relationship.
She noted that her latest album, “Am I Okay,” “reflected” this mindset. Two songs in particular are “kind of hopeful” regarding newfound love which “ends real quick.” Moroney described this as “an accurate representation” of her own recent encounters with love.
The singer also said that she did not view herself as “emotionally available” right now, saying that serious relationships are not within “the top ten things” she is prioritizing and that she is simply “not ready” to find a man whom she “want[s] to marry” at the moment.
With a nod to the idea that dating should ultimately lead to marriage with the right person, Moroney added that she is not interested in “wast[ing] anyone’s time” or currently dating because of “that point.”
Since the release of her second studio album earlier this month, Moroney’s songs have been regarded as an act of solidarity for girls who are in unhealthy relationships or healing from heartbreak. Its overarching theme stands in contrast to her hit single “Tennessee Orange,” which became a viral TikTok sensation after being released in December 2022.
In this song, Moroney sings about a man who “don’t make me cry” and whose love leads her to wear the Volunteer State’s classic orange instead of her home state’s red. The hit single also sparked rumors about the singer’s relationship status. Many fans guessed that she was alluding to one of the most popular (and controversial) country stars of the day, Morgan Wallen.
Her fellow musician released “Tennessee Fan” as part of his March 2023 album “One Thing at a Time,” which could be interpreted as the male counterpart to “Tennessee Orange”—except that he sings about winning over a girl from Alabama rather than Georgia.
