Country music fans have been buzzing about Maggie Baugh, a name you might have heard recently alongside superstar Keith Urban. This up-and-coming singer-songwriter hit a big career goal in 2025. She became Urban’s touring guitarist.
A special moment happened during Urban’s High and Alive World Tour in September 2025. Urban surprised everyone by changing the words to his hit song, "The Fighter." A video of this moment recently popped up online, around the same time news of Urban’s split from his wife Nicole Kidman was discussed. In the song, he changed the original line, "when they’re tryna get to you, baby, I’ll be the fighter," to a personal shout-out: "when they’re tryna get to you, Maggie, I’ll be your guitar player."
Maggie Baugh herself shared the clip on Instagram. She added a caption that summed up everyone’s surprise: "Did he just say that👀?" Beyond her gig with Urban, Maggie has made a name for herself. She’s appeared on lists of rising country stars from Spotify and Apple Music. She has even graced the stage of the famous Grand Ole Opry. Plus, she hosts her own popular TikTok music series called Finish the Lick. Let’s get to know Maggie Baugh a little better.
From Classical Strings to Country Dreams
Maggie Baugh started singing when she was just 12 years old. She first learned classical violin. But her parents soon encouraged her to explore country music, a path she quickly loved. Maggie started going to Nashville around age 13. She began writing songs at the same time. "I released my first record at 13," Baugh told The Hamilton County Reporter in September 2025.
She remembered playing in "bigger venues" across Florida during festival seasons when she was young. At 18, she made the big move to Nashville. "Last year, I was touring with Keith Urban, and it’s just been an amazing experience, man," she shared. Unlike many artists, Maggie didn’t have family connections in the music business. "No one in my family plays music," she explained. "I’m literally the only one. Isn’t that crazy? I’m the oddball. My dad’s a microbiologist, and my mom is a stay-at-home mom, and she also has a dog training business."
Maggie Baugh and Keith Urban in May 2024. Hubert Vestil/WireImage
TikTok Sensation: “Finish the Lick”
Since 2022, Baugh has hosted her very own TikTok series, Finish the Lick. In this fun challenge, a friend or fellow artist dares her to complete the signature guitar riff from a popular song. Maggie initially hesitated to join TikTok. She felt like an "old soul," even though she was born in 2000. "I never found my niche on TikTok until literally a month ago," she told Up N Country in 2022.
Maggie had posted some guitar videos throughout the year. A few of them even went viral. But she still only had around 20,000 followers. "Literally a month ago, I was just in my room chilling, and I was thinking, ‘I want to do something called Finish the Lick,’" she recalled. She explained that the idea came because the popular "Finish the Lyric" trend felt "super played out."
"[I thought], ‘What can I do that’s different?’ So one night I was just jamming out in my room," she said. "I was [doing] finish the lick. [I thought,] ‘That’s such a cool idea,’ because I could showcase all my instruments, so it wasn’t just the voice." Maggie rushed to her neighbor’s house and asked for help filming. "So the first couple of videos were her helping me in my bedroom," she said. "It was seriously so much fun, but it went viral, and I gained 80,000 followers in under a month."
Maggie Baugh and Keith Urban in May 2024. Amy E. Price/Getty Images
A Song with a Powerful Message
Building on her TikTok fame, Maggie released her first solo album, Dear Me, in October 2023. This album caught the attention of major streaming services. It landed Baugh on Spotify’s "Next From Nashville" and "New Music Friday Country" lists. Apple Music featured her on their "New in Country" and "Fresh From Nashville" playlists. Even Amazon Music highlighted her tracks in their "Breakthrough Pop" and "Breakthrough Country" selections.
The album’s title track, "Dear Me," holds a deeply personal story. Baugh told Today’s Country Magazine that the song was inspired by her own experience of being "terribly bullied in high school." She shared a heartbreaking truth: "I almost took my life." Instead of giving up, Maggie turned to music. "I started pouring my feelings and depression into lyrics," she recalled. "I used songwriting and country music as an escape from what I was going through, which later became my decision to be an artist."
She chose to keep her head down and work hard. Maggie focused on writing the music she truly wanted to create. "Now, almost 10 years later, I am ready to tell my story," she explained. "And what better way than through the title track of my debut album." The song’s release during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month was no accident. Its music video includes a special message from the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention. Baugh feels deeply honored by this connection.
Maggie wrote "Dear Me" with fellow songwriters Elena Jones and Tyler Bank. It was a way for her to process her own journey with mental health. "Writing ‘Dear Me’ was a mental challenge of strength," she said. She had to think back to her 12-year-old self, ready to give up. "That 12-year-old girl who questioned every single day why she wasn’t good enough." Maggie is thankful that Tyler and Elena helped turn her tears and story into a song. She praised their patience and kindness. "It takes a high level of trust to open up and tell a story like mine," she noted. "I am convinced ‘Dear Me’ was meant to be written that day."
From Stages to Stardom
Maggie Baugh has been busy. She’s used the success of Dear Me and her popular TikTok series to become a rising media star. In recent years, she’s appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and NBC’s Today. She’s also performed on late-night shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
She has played at famous venues like the Ryman Auditorium and the legendary Grand Ole Opry. Now, Maggie is taking another big step. She announced her first headlining shows as part of the Entertainers Heart World Tour in 2025. Fans can also look forward to her second studio album, which is set to come out late in 2025.
Teaming Up with a Legend
Maggie shared with Pittsburgh Music Magazine how her journey with Keith Urban began. He first asked her to perform with him at the CMT Music Awards in 2024. She must have really impressed the "Stupid Boy" musician. Urban quickly invited the multi-instrumentalist to join his touring band too.
"Working with [Urban] was like going to rock star school," Baugh declared. "He’s a musical encyclopedia." In September 2025, Maggie shared a video blog about her experience touring with Urban on his High and Alive World Tour. Walking through an airport with her luggage, Baugh playfully remarked, "Nobody in this airport knows that yesterday I played for 21,000 people in a stadium with Keith Urban. … Pinch me… this was a dream!" It’s clear that Maggie Baugh’s dreams are quickly becoming her reality.
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