After competing in the 2017 season of reality competition Operación Triunfo, Cepeda mesmerised audiences with his single “Esta Vez”, a heart-baring pop-rock confessional propelled by his raspy, passionate vocals. His 2018 debut album Principios marries fresh material with older, personal songwriting that offers glimpses of Luis Cepeda, the man from Ourense behind the stage name. He has held onto that authentic emotion in subsequent efforts—with string-hued ballads, piano-laced rockers and anthems powering his transatlantic rise.