Brooke Fraser

Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983), professionally known as Brooke Fraser, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter best known for her hit single "Something in the Water", released in 2010.

She began writing for the Soul Purpose magazine at age fifteen and was later made editor in 2002.

She gave up her job as editor shortly after moving to Auckland in late 2002 in order to pursue her music career.

In 2002, at the age of 18, Fraser signed a multi album deal with Sony Music, after a fierce bidding war between labels.

Fraser released two studio albums What to Do with Daylight (2003) and Albertine (2006) through Columbia Records before signing a recording contract with Wood + Bone.

Fraser's first album, What to Do with Daylight, was released in New Zealand in late 2003, which debuted at No. 1 and achieved gold status the same week.

The album eventually went seven times platinum, which sold over 105,000 copies in New Zealand alone.

It remained on the album charts for sixty-six weeks.

All five singles from the album reached the top twenty in the New Zealand Singles Chart.

Her album also topped the New Zealand Top 50 Albums for all of 2004.

The album also achieved gold status in Australia.

Following the release of What to Do with Daylight, Fraser toured Australia and New Zealand with American recording artist John Mayer and then toured New Zealand with veteran English rock artist David Bowie.

Fraser became a member of the Australian Christian music group Hillsong Worship from 2005 to 2010.

In 2005, prior to writing and preparing her follow-up album, Fraser went to Rwanda before visiting her World Vision sponsor children in Tanzania.

Fraser wrote the song "Albertine" about a young genocide victim (named Albertine), whom she met while in Rwanda.

This song became her second album's title track.

For this album, Fraser decided to enlist a new band of American session musicians who had worked with an array of notable artists, both live and recorded.

Already part of Hillsong Church since 2005, Fraser joined the Australian church's worship band—Hillsong Worship—where she participates under her married name: Brooke Ligertwood.

In 2006, Fraser and the band went into the studio in Los Angeles to record the album with producer Marshall Altman.

The first single, "Deciphering Me", reached No. 4 in the New Zealand single charts in 2006.

On 4 December 2006, the album, Albertine, was released in New Zealand, which achieved double platinum status less than a month after its release.

The album was released in Australia and internationally on 31 March 2007.

In Australia, it charted at No. 29 in its first week on 9 April and has achieved Gold sales status.

"Albertine" (the single) won the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll for Song of the Year in 2007.

Albertine also became Fraser's US debut, released on 27 May 2008.

It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 90 on 19 July 2008.

The album was propelled by online sales after being chosen as Editor's Choice on iTunes.

In 2008, Fraser undertook a major world tour, culminating the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, UK.

Her third studio album, Flags, was released in 2010 and is her most successful album to date.

She released the album, Brutal Romantic, in November 2014 through Vagrant Records.

After a long hiatus from solo albums, she released her first live album, Seven, in 2022, while another studio album, Eight, was released on October 20, 2023.

Both recent albums have been released in her married name - Brooke Ligertwood.

She rejoined the group in 2016 and she was the songwriter and lead vocalist for the Grammy winning song "What a Beautiful Name", which was credited under her married name Brooke Ligertwood.

Other well-known songs written and performed by Fraser (both with Hillsong Worship and as a solo artist) include "Hosanna", "Lead Me To The Cross", "Better", "Who You Say I Am", "King of Kings", "Awake My Soul".

Fraser is the eldest of three children born to former All Black Bernie Fraser, who was born in Lautoka, Fiji, and his wife Lynda.

Her father is of Fijian, Portuguese, and Scottish descent.

She has two brothers: Matthew, who lives in Wellington, and Shea, who lives in Dunedin.

Fraser grew up in Naenae, Lower Hutt and attended Dyer Street School, Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College.

Fraser took piano lessons between the ages of seven and seventeen.

She started writing songs at age twelve and taught herself the acoustic guitar at age fifteen.