Megan Moroney Reflects On ‘Very Surreal’ Success Of ‘Tennessee Orange’ During No.1 Celebration In Nashville
Joined by her co-writers, friends, family, and industry executives, Moroney toasted the success of her debut single.
Megan Moroney; Photo by Anna Warner
Megan Moroney painted Nashville orange on Wednesday afternoon during her No.1 party celebrating her chart-topping debut single, “Tennessee Orange.”
They Wore Tennessee Orange For Her
Friends, family, and music industry professionals gathered at SESAC’s office on Music Row donning their best orange tailgate attire for the celebration of the viral hit, penned by Moroney Ben Williams, David Fanning, and Paul Jenkins.
Ahead of the party, which featured tailgate food, drinks, and a “Tennessee Orange” cake, Moroney and her co-writers reflected on the song’s success and the day the hit came to life.
The Song Was Written In The Spring Of 2022
It was April 6, 2022, and miraculously, it was the one and only time the collaborators had written together.
“One for one,” they joked ahead of the No.1 party.
The songwriters went on to praise Moroney and producer Kristian Bush for bringing the song to life and applauded the rising star’s ability to connect with her audience.
“She jumped with it. I mean, she did a great job at marketing [it]. I give her all the credit for that. It’s like you can write a cool song that connects, but it was also with the right artist at the right time,” Fanning pointed out.
She Didn’t Know She Had A Massive Hit On Her Hands
For Megan Moroney, having her debut single go No.1 is “very surreal.”
While chatting with Country Now and other media outlets, the Georgia native admitted she never thought the song would be at the top of the charts.
“When I sat down and we wrote ‘Tennessee Orange,’ you are not sitting down being like, ‘okay, well there’s my first number one hit.’ You’re just writing…We just left that day and we’re like, ‘okay, cool. We wrote this song called ‘Tennessee Orange.’”
She Came Into the Writing Session With The Idea
Moroney entered the writing session with the line “I’m wearing Tennessee Orange for him” and took a chance on it even though she had never written with Fanning or Jenkins in the past.
“I had a good feeling about that idea because when I come up with an idea that that has so much color already, I can picture how it’s going to go in my head and I’m like, ‘okay, this is going to be easy to write,” she explained. “I think other people would’ve maybe said, don’t bring that to two people that you’ve never written with before.”
The CMA New Artist of the Year nominee admitted she was “too excited” about the concept to wait.
“The gears were turning in my brain and I was like, I need to write it immediately. And so once I found out Ben was on the write, I was like, ‘Well, hey guys, you don’t know me and I don’t know if you care about football or anything about the SEC, but I went to Georgia and we’re going to write this love song and I want it to be a waltz.”
A few months went by and Moroney and her team needed to release a song to Spotify. With football season on the horizon, they chose, “Tennessee Orange.” In a matter of 48 hours, the song was recorded, mixed, and mastered and began its meteoric rise.
The song opened many doors for Moroney, including her record deal with Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records and a nomination for CMA Song of the Year.
Deluxe Album And Tour
Her debut album, LUCKY, dropped in the Spring, and last month, she shared the deluxe edition of the project with three new tracks. Moroney’s headlining, sold-out THE LUCKY TOUR is underway and her new single, “I’m Not Pretty” continues to climb the charts at country radio.
This may have been Megan Moroney’s first No.1 party but it won’t be her last.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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