Megan Moroney Hits the Top: A New Country Record

A fresh country voice, Megan Moroney, has just broken into the biggest music chart in America. Her newest album, “Cloud 9, ” reached the number‑one spot on the Billboard 200 for the week ending February 26, pulling in about 147, 000 equivalent units across sales, streams and track purchases. That tally makes it the biggest first‑week haul for a female country artist in almost two years. The album’s success came from a mix of strong physical sales and streaming numbers. Roughly 78, 000 of the units were full‑album purchases – Moroney’s highest sales week ever – while 69, 000 came from on‑demand streams that totaled over 71 million plays. The album also appeared in the top ten for other Billboard charts, such as Top Album Sales (where it landed at No. 1) and Top Streaming Albums (No. 2). “Cloud 9” is only Moroney’s third studio project, but it follows two prior entries: a 2024 release that peaked at No. 9 and a 2023 album that reached No. 38. The new record also marks the first time a woman’s country album has topped the Billboard 200 since Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” held the spot for two weeks in April 2024. In the past decade, only seven female country albums have ever reached No. 1 on that chart.The album’s launch was supported by multiple physical editions – five vinyl versions, three CD sets, and four deluxe boxed packages that included signed items or bonus tracks. Four songs from the album already charted on Billboard’s country list, with “6 Months Later” climbing to No. 29 on the all‑genre Hot 100. Other artists made headlines this week too. Hilary Duff returned to the top ten with a new album that debuted at No. 3, while rapper Baby Keem entered the top ten for the first time with “Ca$ino, ” landing at No. 4. Mumford & Sons added a new entry, “Prizefighter, ” at No. 10. The Billboard 200 ranks albums based on a combination of sales, track‑equivalent purchases and streaming equivalents. The data is gathered by Luminate, an independent provider that verifies all submissions before the final chart numbers are released.