NEED TO KNOW
- Megan Moroney is reflecting on her friendship with mentor Kenny Chesney
- “[It] was my first stadium tour, and I feel like it really changed my career,” she says in an exclusive interview for PEOPLE StyleWatch’s holiday cover about opening for the “Summertime” artist
- Moroney and Chesney teamed up for the duet “You Had to Be There” in May
Megan Moroney is opening up about her bond with Kenny Chesney.
In an exclusive interview for PEOPLE StyleWatch’s holiday cover published on Monday, Nov. 24, the “Man on the Moon” artist spoke about how he’s become her “best friend.”
“Some days, I’ll just wake up and be like, ‘Oh. Kenny Chesney is one of my best friends. Cool,” Moroney, 28, laughs.
Moroney and Chesney, 57, met last year when the “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” musician invited her to open for him on the 2024 Sun Goes Down Tour.
“[It] was my first stadium tour, and I feel like it really changed my career,” recalls the “Beautiful Things” performer.
Moroney was honored by the way that Chesney “loudly supported me.”
“He let me come do a few songs with him during his set every night and has just been a great mentor for me,” she says.
Moroney was extremely grateful to Chesney for lifting her up, so around Christmas last year, she co-wrote the song “You Had to Be There” — which was released in May — for him.
“As someone who has everything, including a jet, what do you get him? I was like, ‘It’s got to be sentimental, because he will appreciate that the most,'” she says.
Moroney continues, “I just wanted to write him that song as a gift and a ‘thank you’ for taking me out on tour.”
The “6 Months Later” singer also credits Chesney for helping her win the 2024 New Artist of the Year CMA Award.
“I think he had a lot to do with that, just because to his industry friends, he was like, ‘I believe in her. You need to listen to her songwriting,'” says Moroney.
She adds, “He’s just boosted me up a lot, so I wanted to make sure that that experience was written in a song forever.”
Luckily, Chesney loved the song so much he was willing to sing on it.
“I told him when I gifted it to him that he did not have to do that because I didn’t want him to feel weird, but he loved it,” says Moroney. “I’m just grateful that that song encapsulated the whole summer of last year.”
Whenever the “Am I Okay?” singer hears the song, she thinks of their time on the tour.
“He’s just the best,” Moroney concludes.
In July 2024, she spoke to PEOPLE about what she learned from being on Chesney’s tour.
“I literally watch his whole show every night— side stage— trying to learn from him. From everything he does on the stage to interacting with his fans, I’m trying to take note of every move he makes,” she said at the time.
Read the full article here
