MEGAN MORONEY

                                                               "Tennessee Orange" 

                                                                Arista Nashville

SEC football is a way of life in the South, and your loyal allegiances define you. Take a drive down any given street throughout the fall, and you’ll find flags adorning the front of houses, proudly waving in the breeze as they display their favorite team logo and colors.

Country music has really been bitten by the SEC bug this year. For example, Luke Combs recorded “South On Ya” for the SEC Network and Conner Smith found tremendous viral success with “I Hate Alabama,” which he followed this fall with “Orange and White.” 

The newest addition to this theme is Arista Nashville recording artist Megan Moroney and her “Tennessee Orange.” 

Though the song, co-written by Megan with Paul Jenkins, David Fanning, and Ben Williams, has already become a huge viral sensation, and has found heavy rotation on Sirius XM’s The Highway, it’s now getting its proper release to country radio and is sure to catch fire as college bowl season comes upon us.

Apologetically in her tone, Moroney calls her mom and takes us through the first verse on the back of emotional anxiety about the news that she’s about to share with her, dilly dallying around the true purpose of the call.

The waltz like feel in the melody perfectly adds a degree of nervousness to the lyrics as she begins to try and tell her mama what’s recently happened in her life while pleading with her to not tell her dad, reassuring her that it’s nothing bad, and telling her that she hasn’t given up on chasing her dreams or anything like that.

As we roll to the chorus, she confesses that she never thought she’d feel like this as she then tells:

“I met somebody, and he's got blue eyes
He opens the door, and he don't make me cry
He ain't from where we're from, but he feels like home
He's got me doing things I've never done
In Georgia they'd call it a sin
I'm wearing Tennessee orange for him”

Tapping into things synonymous with the Vols, including Neyland Stadium and learning the words to “Rocky Top,” Moroney gives a wink to the Big Orange faithful while still showing her Georgia Bulldog pride when she sings of how Knoxville sure isn’t Athens, that she always looked better in red, and she still wants the Dawgs to win.

However, the underlying message contains something endearing that so many need to hear right now when she lists the mannerly attributes and the way he makes her feel in the chorus as being the catalyst for accepting him as he is and leaning into what matters most when allowing yourself to fall. This is the key factor that makes this song have staying power long past the college football season, and what will help Megan Moroney make a huge mark ahead of her already scheduled headlining tour.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Do you like what you're reading on Today's Country Magazine? Donate today by clicking HERE

• Prev
• Next