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Megan Moroney reflected on the unexpected love song that turned out to be a massive moment in her career.
The reigning Country Music Association New Artist of the Year (and one of the upcoming show’s top nominees) reminisced on the origin story of “Tennessee Orange” on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday night (October 7). Moroney, who had flown straight to New York City from her latest performances in Las Vegas, told host Seth Meyers about the 2023 love song after speaking about her time at the University of Georgia. The singer-songwriter turned a college rivalry into a romance with the ballad’s heartfelt lyrics.
“When I moved to Nashville, one day, I found myself wearing a [University of Tennessee] Volunteers shirt,” Moroney said. “And I remember looking in the mirror, going, ‘my mom would absolutely kill me right now if she saw me in this gaudy orange.’ And so, then I thought that would make a really good love song, like, I like this dude enough to not wear Georgia red. And yeah, I got death threats over that song.”
Moroney included “Tennessee Orange” — which also garnered awards and nominations, plus massive audience sing-alongs during her live shows — on her debut studio album, Lucky. She’s since followed the project with her sophomore record, Am I Okay?, and stirred anticipation for her next chapter with “6 Months Later.” Moroney also chatted with Meyers about the post-breakup revenge anthem. Watch the full interview here: