Review: Megan Moroney Strikes Gold a Second Time with ‘Am I Okay’

RATING CHART:
1 note – Pass
1.5 notes – Mediocre
2 notes – Average
2.5 notes – Above Average
3 notes – Good
3.5 notes – Great
4 notes – Excellent
4.5 notes – Exceptional
5 notes – Classic

MEGAN MORONEY
AM I OKAY?
(Columbia)
🎵🎵🎵1/2

When Megan Moroney changed her college degree from accounting to music, the financial industry’s loss was country pop’s gain. Based on the Georgia-born and raised singer/songwriter’s remarkably rapid success, fueled mainly by the college football-themed hit “Tennessee Orange” (nominated for two CMT awards), it was a savvy move. 

Her 2023 debut, Lucky, showed she was no one-hit wonder. Clever, crafty lyrics emphasized female empowerment, often with wonderfully witty, self-deprecating asides, in situations of (mostly) problematic love. Constant touring solidified Moroney as a new face with a bright future, making this a much-anticipated follow-up.

Producer/mentor Kristian Bush (half of Sugarland) returns, maintaining Moroney’s ear-friendly, radio-ready appeal while keeping the focus on her imaginative wordplay for these 14 originals. 

Initially, she seems happier in a new relationship, answering the album’s titular question with a hearty “yes.” But soon, she’s wondering if this new love will last (“Third Time’s a Charm”), and afterward it’s back to confronting challenging romantic issues. 

From mulling about the dissolution of teenage love (“Noah”) to not getting over an adult one who randomly rings at 3 AM (“No Caller ID”) and lying to her mom about a nasty boyfriend who makes her cry (“Mama, I Lied”), these intimate and meticulous story songs seem ripped from her journals. 

Moroney detours to lament the sudden death of her uncle for the heartbreaking ballad “Heaven By Noon” and rejoices in the support of women friends on the sing-along folk-pop “The Girls” with They’re easy to keep and harder to find.     

Moroney’s voice, somewhat like that of Sheryl Crow, relates these tales with bittersweet, sometimes humorous, honesty and an astute way with words that are earthy, authentic, and smart without being cynical. A few more rockers like “Ms. Universe” (who her old boyfriend now dates) would balance music that tilts to the mellow side. 

But Am I Okay confirms that Megan Moroney is a young, spirited, frisky talent whose best work is likely ahead of her.

Photo by CeCe Dawson / Courtesy Sweet Talk PR