Luis Palacios.

Luis Palacios writes the songs his church wants to sing. The Mexican singer-songwriter and author began releasing them in 2016 and has since built a catalog of three albums, an EP, and several singles where he signs the lyrics, the music, and the vocals: an author's profile more than a celebrity's.

His first single, "Quiero Vivir," came out in August 2016; a year later arrived "Entra a Mi Casa" (2017), his first album. Then came "Mi Tesoro" (2019), the EP "Rompiendo Cadenas" (2023), and "Para Bien" (2024). He releases everything as an independent artist, and in each release he repeats the same bet: songs that work in a worship service, not just on a playlist.

The Arpa Awards have nominated him twice: in 2019, for Best Alternative Music Album, with "Entra a Mi Casa"; and in 2023, for Best Male Vocal Album or Track, with "Rompiendo Cadenas." Both times he appeared on the list as Indie, alongside names with labels and far bigger budgets.

His worship sounds like a full band: guitars, keyboards, and backing vocals that can carry a congregation singing along. The lyrics return to the essentials: surrender, the altar, the home, and the resurrection. "Inigualable Jesús" comes from the resurrection accounts; "Rompiendo Cadenas" takes the image of the walls of Jericho; "Mi Casa Y Yo" gets a whole house singing, and "Medley Coritos" gathers the choruses that several generations learned by heart.

He also writes books: "Alabanza y Adoración" (2024), about what it means to worship beyond the stage, and "El menú del Gran Chef," his most recent publication. If you serve on your church's worship team — or if you're just learning — his catalog is a good starting point: songs meant to be sung out loud. Which one do you know by heart?