Megan Moroney’s third studio album, Cloud 9, has set a new personal record in addition to scoring a historic milestone for the females in country music. Over the past decade, just seven country albums by five different woman have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Now, for the first time in her career, Megan Moroney’s highly buzzed about project has earned her place on that short list, alongside superstars like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and more.
Released on February 20, the 15-track collection debuted at the top of the definitive all-genre chart, which ranks the most popular albums. According to Luminate, Cloud 9 earned 147,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week, including 78,000 in album sales and 69,000 from streaming equivalent album units (SEA).
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the week’s most popular U.S. albums based on a combination of album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Billboard explains, “Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.”
This is an incredibly high achievement for Moroney, not only because it was her best first-week sales to date. It also markedthe biggest week for a country album by a woman in nearly two years and the highest first-week total consumption for any country artist in 2026 so far. The last woman to be No. 1 on the Billboard 200 was Beyoncé, who spent two weeks in the top spot with her first country project, Cowboy Carter, in April of 2024.
Along with Moroney’s Cloud 9, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Taylor Swift also rose to the top of the chart with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in 2023, Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021 and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021. Additionally, Carrie Underwood made the ranking with Cry Pretty in 2018, proceeding Shania Twain with Now in 2017.
Comparatively, during that same period, 17 country albums by 11 different men have hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Reflecting on this rare milestone and its significance for female country artists, the Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records singer/songwriter said, “Not to be cliche but I’m on cloud 9! I have to give credit to my fans, they’re the best in the world. To have them embrace an album like this is a dream come true. I can’t wait till we’re screaming these songs together on THE CLOUD 9 TOUR!”
Even before the entire Cloud 9 album dropped, Moroney was making waves on the chart. Four tracks, all released in advance of the project, reached the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart: “6 Months Later,” “Beautiful Things,” “Wish I Didn’t,” and the title track. “6 Months Later” also became a GOLD-certified No. 1 hit at country radio and earned the Georgia native her highest-charting song on Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 29 in January.
The album marks Megan Moroney’s the second top 10, and third chart entry, following Am I Okay?, which reached the No. 9 spot on the Billboard 200 in 2024, marking the year’s third-biggest debut from a female Country artist.
She will celebrate the success of the album and the fans who have given it so much love throughout her upcoming Cloud 9 Tour. The massive 430date global trek will launch May 29 and feature stops in major arenas across North America, Europe, and the UK before wrapping up in October.
The post Megan Moroney Scores Rare Chart Achievement For A Female Artist With ‘Cloud 9,’ Joining Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift And More appeared first on Country Now.
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