A classic country heartbreaker… and I can’t get enough. Today, Megan Moroney released her third studio album Cloud 9, which features two very special collabs in duets with Kacey Musgraves, as well as this beautiful ballad “I Only Miss You,” which features guest vocals from British pop star Ed Sheeran.
Sheeran has mentioned many times in interviews that his ultimate goal is to move to Nashville and make country music, so it’s not surprising to see these two on a song together.
During an interview not long ago, she explained how much detail and effort went into finding the perfect song for them, and in fact, it was Sheeran who wanted to do something much more traditionally country:
“At first I was nervous to talk to Ed Sheeran, of course, but he’s an e-mailer, so that takes, kind of, the pressure off. Because I would just not check my email for two weeks, and wouldn’t worry about it. But Ed and I would send back and forth songs… he would send me one and I would be like, ‘I don’t know of this is it.’
I’d send him one and he’s like, ‘Eh, I don’t know.’ After the Bluebird show, he told me that his wife and kids love me and he loves my songwriting, and I’m obviously such a fan of his. So I think we just really wanted to collab together. I definitely trusted Ed after it’s done, like, he made the right decision. The song that we cut is a traditionally country song, it’s not a pop song.
From what I know about collabing with pop artists, usually, it’s a tempo pop song with a country voice on it. But he wanted to go the opposite route and do a really traditional country song with his modern pop voice on it. So it made it really interesting, and I ‘m really excited for everyone to hear that one.”
It has a beautiful melody, and they really leaned into that classic country production with mostly just a simple acoustic guitar back them, as they trade verses about the loneliness of and breakup and how much they miss each other.
A slow burning breakup song, Moroney says she and Ed hit it off after playing a writers’ round with him at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Cafe in March of last year. She says it all came together naturally, and Sheeran was really pushing for a traditional country song, rather than some of the more pop-leaning songs she sent him and appear all over the Cloud 9 tracklist:
“It was such a fun night and we just naturally became friends, and after that we’d send song ideas back and forth in hopes of collaborating someday.
At first I was trying to send more pop-leaning songs to Ed, because that’s what most Pop artists go for when they collab with Country artists. But he ended up loving ‘I Only Miss You,’ and I think his voice sounds amazing in a traditional Country song.”
She says it was also partially inspired by the longing in Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” and I was skeptical about what they might come up with, not because they’re both individually very talented, but because I thought it would be pure bubblegum pop, and it’s quite the opposite, which is a very pleasant and welcome surprise.
Written by Megan, Ed, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter and Micah Carpenter, it opens with a gut punch:
“I thought today would be the day
That I’d finally finish sober
I’d cook a meal and go to bed
Without sadness in my chest
Wake up with no hangover
I thought tonight would be the night
I’d get a full eight hours of sleep
I’d quit leaning on the wine
Wake up and feel just fine
And leave you in my dreams”
The twist is that the “missing” is all-consuming, appearing in daily tasks and everywhere else:
“I only miss you when I’m breathing
And my face is far from blue
I only miss you when it’s raining
But this downpour outside ain’t nothing new
I only miss you when I’m lonely
And these days I’m barely getting by
I only miss you when I’m drinking
And baby, I’ve been drinking
’Cause I miss you all the time”
It’s just a gorgeous duet, way more than what I was expecting from this duo, and I’ve had it on repeat… if you only listen to one song from this album, “I Only Miss You” is pure country perfection and you might just be surprised at how traditional they went if you’re skeptical like I was.
They capture the heart-wrenching sadness and brilliant storytelling that makes country music so special, and when you can turn that into a great duet, well… I’m sold. Sheeran sounds great, he clearly has an ear, and voice, for this kind of country, at least in this capacity, and it’s truly stunning. Do yourself a favor and check it out:
“I Only Miss You”
Cloud 9 Tracklist
1. “Cloud 9” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Ernest Keith Smith)*
2. “Medicine” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
3. “6 Months Later” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Rob Hatch, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
4. “Stupid” (Megan Moroney, Amy Allen, and David “Messy” Mescon)*
5. “Beautiful Things” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
6. “Convincing” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)*
7. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
8. “I Only Miss You (ft. Ed Sheeran)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, and Ed Sheeran)*
9. “Wedding Dress” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, and Colin Healy)+
10. “Change of Heart” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
11. “Bells & Whistles (ft. Kacey Musgraves)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)*
12. “Table for Two” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)^
13. “Wish I Didn’t” (Megan Moroney, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird)*
14. “Who Hurt You?” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
15. “Waiting on the Rain” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*
* Produced by Kristian Bush
+ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney, additional production by Kristian Bush
^ Produced by Luke Laird and Megan Moroney
