Megan Moroney Talks Success of 'Tennessee Orange' — and Loves That Fans Are Making It 'Their Own'

Megan Moroney Megan Moroney

For Megan Moroney, the release of her single "Tennessee Orange" and the success that followed is the pinch-me moment she'd been waiting for. Now, she's opening up to PEOPLE about the whirlwind she's experienced since.

"I don't think I realized how special the song would be. It was one of those things where I'd worked on for so long and I didn't know if it was good or not," Moroney, 25, tells PEOPLE. "Then we decided last minute when we got the opportunity from Spotify to put it out. And it's crazy. I'm new to all of this. But I'm like, this is cool."

"Tennessee Orange" dropped only two months after Moroney released her debut EP Pistol Made of Roses — which at first, she worried might work against her.

"I think it does a good job of letting everyone know who I am as person," she says. "The songs are very me. I released that in July, and we didn't know if it would water down the EP by putting out a single two months after. So we were looking for a sign and then Spotify called the next day and was like, 'We have this Fresh Finds thing. You have to put out a song this day.' And I was like, 'Wow, this is perfect.' It was definitely perfect timing."

Megan Moroney Megan Moroney

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Fresh Finds is a playlist on Spotify that updates every Wednesday with new music by independent artists and labels.

"The growth of 'Tennessee Orange' has been incredible! The song is connecting with fans all over the world and the stats speak for themselves," says Claire Heinichen, the country music editor for Spotify. "This song has been a dream to watch grow through our playlist ecosystem — from Fresh Finds Country all the way to Hot Country."

Miller Guth, the artist and label partnership manager adds, "We've been watching Megan for a couple of years, so when she performed at our Fresh Finds stage and we saw the crowds reaction we knew she was on the cusp of a major moment. The success of "Tennessee Orange" is a testament to her authentic artistry. We're so excited to be a part of her story."

"Tennessee Orange" tells the story of a girl falling for a boy from her rival school — specifically, a Georgia girl (Moroney graduated from the University of Georgia) falling for a Tennessee boy.

"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," she sings. "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."

And in case you were wondering — it is a true story. Since the song's release, fans have speculated that the song is about country star Morgan Wallen, who's from Knoxville, Tennessee and has been seen interacting with her on social media.

Moroney, however, intends to keep the blue-eyed boy anonymous. "I always say I cannot confirm or deny who the song is about," she teases. "And I don't think I'll ever tell anyone who the song is about because I told the story in the song. So that would be giving it away too much!"

Megan Moroney Megan Moroney

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As for what she loves about the song?

"I love that it's like a waltz. And when you hear it, you just want to fall into it. I love how on TikTok, it's become a trend because people make my story their own. They substitute teams and colors and all the things! It's just cool to see what kind of reach this song about me and SEC [NCAA Southeastern Conference] football has. That's what music does."

Now, Moroney's career is full-speed ahead — and she wants her fans to know that at the end of the day, she's just being herself.

"All of my songs are very much me. I write from the heart. And that will never change. I don't try to write songs that other artists could cut because they're so specific to me and what I've gone through."

"Tennessee Orange" is out now.