Since the release of her breakout hit, “Tennessee Orange,” Megan Moroney has become a force to be reckoned with in country music. As the 26-year-old has become more comfortable in the spotlight, she’s had the opportunity to explore alternative creative directions with her sophomore album, Am I Okay?
Moroney could’ve continued to play into the “emo cowgirl” character she has built throughout her career or focused on personal growth and self-confidence. The promotional releases leading up to the record showed signs of both. “No Caller ID” and “28th Of June” showed her emo cowgirl persona, but “Indifferent” and “Man on the Moon” displayed her edgier and more confident side.
Immediately, the project makes a strong first impression, opening up with its title track, “Am I Okay?” which is, without a doubt, the least country song on the record and is arguably a full-on pop song. It reveals a different side to Moroney’s writing, offering a positive relationship story. The man in the song is one of the few who treat her well by doing things as simple as communicating. It’s upbeat and grabs the listener’s attention early on, drawing them into the rest of the record.
From there, we venture into “Third Times The Charm,” a slower track that doubles down on a positive relationship story. Her versatility is refreshing, and she approaches the happy concept really well, proving that she can tell a brand-new story with her usual production style. It highlights Moroney’s personal and songwriting growth as she still has plenty to say.
One downfall to this collection is that the pre-releases are tracks three through six on the record. As the listener settles into the album, they’re hit with four songs they have been listening to for at least a month and a half. There isn’t anything wrong with the songs, but it disrupts the flow of the listening experience, especially the first few times through. It becomes easy to lose interest before even reaching the project’s halfway point. The fact that four songs had already been released diminishes the album’s overall impact, and placing all four consecutively only increases this sense of redundancy.
The pre-released songs being grouped this way makes for a smoother transition in the record’s writing. Seven of the eight songs in the back half of the collection embrace her sad-girl side. “28th of June” and “No Caller ID” make that feel more natural, but they project more dispiriting energy than what’s expected on the first few tracks. As a result, the storytelling in the latter half begins to feel repetitive, as most of them trail off into the classic Megan Moroney failed relationship stories.
Even so, Moroney’s writing has always been one of her biggest strengths. She can write a fun toe-tapper like “Lucky” and still has the introspection to write a deep and reflective song like “Girl In The Mirror.” Her deft writing skills are again on display but feel more tailored towards her core audience of Gen Z girls. That style is similar to Taylor Swift’s early work; it’s undeniably good but very targeted towards her direct fan base: the “emo cowgirls.” That being said, the writing is too niche to relate to most people outside this demographic. Every track is enjoyable, but the concept of sending a man to the moon or the girls always having your back feels too specific to the emo cowgirl experience for all groups to relate to.
Granted, the lack of relatability isn’t the case for every track. “Heaven By Noon” is one of the most emotional tracks of the collection, reminiscing on the narrator’s final conversation with a loved one before their sudden passing. They question whether that person truly knew how much they were cared for. Unfortunately, this is a track everyone can relate to, making it one of the most honest songs in the project. Moroney’s voice makes the story hit a lot harder as you can hear the emotion she sings with. Lyrics like “how’s the world still turning? And “why do stars still shine?” exemplify how lost the central character is as it feels like the world can’t go on without this person. Meg’s delivery feels much more personal, making this one of the stand-out tracks. Topically, “Heaven By Noon” feels a little out of nowhere, given that it’s a part of an album written almost entirely about relationships, but it’s a very good touch nonetheless.
Kristian Bush was one-half of Sugarland and has been Moroney’s long-time producer since her early days. From the first track, he takes the sound of Am I Okay? in a strikingly different direction from Meg’s debut LP. The record embraces a more pop-oriented, singer-songwriter feel, contrasting “Lucky’s” old-school country twang.
While there is more of a pop sound, it coincides nicely with the country’s aspects of the records. It is more polished but mixes well with classic country sounds like the shaker or slide guitar. It isn’t bad, but it would’ve been nice to hear more of the classic country style that made “Lucky” so much fun.
Overall, the expectations for “Am I Okay?” were through the roof. While Meg didn’t blow them out of the water, she still held her own. Sonically, she’s slowly working towards a new direction that fits her style well. Still, it would have been nice to see her develop a stronger storytelling identity, as it sometimes feels scattered. Moroney is very in tune with her target audience, and that is abundantly clear while listening to Am I Okay? A wide audience can undoubtedly enjoy it, but it won’t necessarily be something most people can relate to. Even though this record wasn’t quite as lyrically exciting as “Lucky,” Megan Moroney’s knack for selling a story and baring her soul to her audience is still up there with the best of them. In 2024, she should still be regarded as one of the best acts in country music today.
7.8/10
