When Brooke Ligertwood released “SEVEN” in 2022, she honestly thought it would be a one-off worship project. After spending the past two decades successfully helming a mainstream music career under her maiden name, Brooke Fraser, while also quietly penning some of the biggest worship anthems of this generation, Ligertwood decided to finally put her weight behind a debut Christian album that solely bore her name. Featuring live selections like “A Thousand Hallelujahs” and “Honey in the Rock (feat. Brandon Lake),” “SEVEN” resonated with listeners in ways the songstress didn’t expect. Still, there were no plans for a follow-up.
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Then, “SEVEN” was succeeded by a season of personal trial and grief for the GRAMMY® winner and her family, and somehow amidst the hardship, “EIGHT” was birthed. As the “What A Beautiful Name” singer began to lean on the lyrics of her past, she began to wonder if others might need a similar reminder. A mix of both old and new offerings, the 11-track collection could easily be called “EIGHT (Brooke’s Version)” as Ligertwood puts her own creative stamp on familiar songs that have become a part of the very fabric of our faith. Yet, for the first time, Ligertwood steps out to reimagine beloved originals apart from any singular worship collective.
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“We made something we love with people we love for Someone we love…and for you. It has been made and fashioned whilst our family has been navigating life amid a constellation of traumas — some of which continue, others of which we are still trying to catch our breath from. All that to say, it’s a message from the middle. It’s weird here. But He’s still good here. And every word I get to declare in this collection has stood true, and getting to sit in these prayed lyrics during this process has been a balm to my rickety heart… I pray it might be the same for some of you,” she shares of “EIGHT.” “As always, it’s an honor to serve you this way, and I’ll never not be blown away at the privilege it is to do so, let alone to do it with a team of people of the caliber of those whom I get to walk this out with.”
Written alongside powerhouse lyricists, Brandon Lake and Cody Carnes, “EIGHT’s” opening track, “Bless God,” ushers in a corporate declaration of praise. Carnes also released a version of the song on his recent “Firm Foundation” album. The lead selection rolls right into worship chorus “Every Chance I Get” before morphing into the all-new “Fear of God,” a dark, moody challenge that matches the emotion fear evokes.
The prolific songwriter enlists the warm vocals of fellow worship leader John Wilds for “Authority,” a song previously recorded by Elevation Worship for their critically acclaimed “Graves Into Gardens” project. Ligertwood originally penned the moving track with her husband, Scott, and Elevation’s Steven Furtick and Chris Brown.
Additionally, she invites legendary artist Martin Smith to join her on one of her most captivating selections, “Lead Me To The Cross,” written solely by the songstress. Also included on “EIGHT” are hauntingly beautiful renditions of “Desert Song” — an enduring contribution to Ligertwood’s catalog — and “Like Incense,” a fragrant offering that also seamlessly bleeds into Rich Mullins’ celebrated standard, “Step By Step.”
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Revisiting 2019’s creed-driven “King of Kings,” Ligertwood unveils a powerful all-new iteration that reminds listeners why she’s one of the most esteemed worship writers this generation has ever witnessed. If her personal take on the adored anthem isn’t enough, further proof exists in the brand new “Calvary’s Enough,” a poignant tribute to Christ’s death and resurrection backed by a choir of voices.
While Ligertwood will tell you she’s simply a storyteller, her beautiful gift for leading others in worship can’t be denied. When her deep, delicate voice meets her poetic lyrics, something intangible takes place, giving space for the presence of Jesus to fill the room. Whether listeners consider themselves a longtime fan or are just now discovering her music for the first time, Ligertwood immediately feels like a trusted friend who is grounded in all the things that actually make life purposeful.
Co-produced by both Ligertwood and Jason Ingram (Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham), “EIGHT” intentionally provides ample breathing room for both personal and collective expression, creating more of an experience than a soundtrack. While the New Zealand native ultimately hopes the stack of well-worn songs and the few newly minted tracks served up on “EIGHT” will find fresh ears who might not be familiar with her earlier work, she’s already found these selections to be a source of deep comfort during her own season of recent affliction, making the words to favorites like “Desert Song” ring true time and time again:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness, or trial, or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
Suffice it to say, Ligertwood has mastered the art of ageless writing, and now, she gets to firmly plant her feet in the healthy soil these songs have cultivated. Her second solo endeavor demonstrates that when you write timeless songs, they have the ability to feel new all over again because the truth stitched into them doesn’t change. “EIGHT” reflects the heart of the same woman who wrote “Desert Song” all those years ago and offers the same abiding hope of Jesus. It’s just that, now, this song — and others like it — are finding renewed meaning in a different season.
