Megan Moroney Thought She Was Going to 'Pass Out' Upon Learning Olivia Rodrigo Loves Her Music (Exclusive)

Many people have become Megan Moroney fans this year — including Olivia Rodrigo.

The country singer opened up about her whirlwind year and Rodrigo's attendance at her recent Los Angeles concert during an interview at Hotel Indigo Nashville — The Countrypolitan at PEOPLE's pre-CMAs listening event, hosted in partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts, on Monday.

"I feel like over the past year there's been so many pinch-me moments, fortunately, but I think the highlight of this year has been the tour that I'm on," Moroney, 26, tells PEOPLE of her sold-out string of shows.

As a rising star who recently earned her first top-5 hit on the Billboard U.S. Country Airplay chart with 2022's "Tennessee Orange," Moroney wasn't sure what to expect as she prepared to launch the tour.

"You don't know when you first start if they're only gonna gravitate towards like two or three songs, but my fans scream the words at every single show," she explains. "My album [Lucky] came out in May, and then to have them just gravitate towards it so quickly and learn all the words just means the world to me."

Moroney's favorite lyric to perform during shows? It's a toss-up. "I really love ‘Bless your heart’ in ‘I’m Not Pretty.’ All my fans really scream that one," she says, before referencing a cheeky lyric from the breakup anthem "Sleep on My Side."

"And then I love, ‘I sleep on my side and you sleep with everyone,'" she adds. "That's like revenge for me. I didn't have to key nobody’s car. There's a room full of people every night screaming ‘You sleep with everyone.’ I'm like, ‘I’m healed. I’m done.’"

One fellow musician who's been enjoying Moroney's songs as of late is Rodrigo, who was in the audience for her Lucky Tour stop at The Troubadour in L.A. last month. According to the performer, a "mutual friend" at the "Good 4 U" singer's record label introduced her to Moroney's music — and they soon spoke on social media.

"I had posted ‘Vampire’ on my story and she replied and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm such a fan of your music,’" she recalls. "I was like about to pass out. I was like, ‘Shut up. How do you even know who I am?'"

After messaging back-and-forth for some time, Rodrigo expressed interest in seeing the L.A. concert and assured Moroney she'd "know all the words." Of course, she gave her a ticket.

"I thought that was just like the coolest thing ever. Sometimes people just say that, and they don't actually come," she tells PEOPLE of Rodrigo. "Then my concert came around, and her team was like, ‘She's coming.’ It's insane. She's so sweet, and I just love that she loves country music."

The pair quickly "felt like good friends" upon connecting in person — and later posed for Instagram photos. "I felt like I had known her for a long time. It was it was just cool to meet someone like that," Moroney says, noting that she is "such a fan" of Rodrigo's Sour and Guts albums.

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"I feel like everyone in the world was such a fan, so to actually meet her and be like, ‘Wait, we're actually friends? Like, we could hang out?’” raves the CMT Music Award winner, teasing that a collaboration with Rodrigo could be possible in the future: "I hope so."

Moroney is nominated for both new artist of the year and song of the year for "Tennessee Orange" at the 2023 CMA Awards, which will be held Wednesday at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. After hosting the awards show's red carpet last year, she says it's "hard to process" the fact that she's now both nominated and performing with Old Dominion at the ceremony.

"Surreal is the only word," says the star, who's bringing her father as her date to the event. "I'm probably most excited about that."

As for any potential wins, Moroney says she's feeling "100%" nervous. "Me and my anxiety medicine this week are besties," she jokes.

The 2023 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream exclusively on Hulu the following day.