Annie Cortazar.

Some debuts arrive quietly, and some arrive with a nomination. Annie Cortazar's is one of the latter: on April 26, 2024, she released "Somos Luz," her first single, and that same year her name landed among the three finalists for the Premios Arpa.

Hers is a Spanish-language Christian pop bet with a catalog that, for now, fits into a single song. "Somos Luz" is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer under the label Inspiration Records LLC, and it bears her signature: the songwriting credits go to Annie Cortazar and Nicole Cortazar, and the production credits to Carlos Gallegos, Jaime Arroyo, Bob Boyd, and Allan Sanjay. A full studio team behind a first release — not the norm when someone is just starting out.

Recognition came fast. At the 19th edition of the Premios Arpa, held November 7, 2024, at the Teatro Metropólitan in Mexico City, "Somos Luz" competed in the Children's Album category alongside Francisco Orantes and Pequeños Héroes: a shortlist where songs are measured by what they leave with the youngest listeners.

With just one release, there isn't a career to sum up yet — and that says something too: her story is being written right now. What is already known is her starting point: a song called "Somos Luz," a co-writing credit she shares with Nicole Cortazar, and a nomination in her very first year.

For anyone writing songs in their bedroom or singing in their church's worship team, there's a simple takeaway here: you don't need a huge catalog for a song to start moving. Listening to "Somos Luz" is the first step; the next is keeping track of what comes after.