There are moments in which you have to put all of your eggs in one basket. A good two years ago, that was what motivated Lxandra to pack her things and move from the small Finnish island of Suomenlinna to loud and colourful Berlin. It's a risk that paid off. These days, the 21-year-old has a record deal under her belt, and recently caused a stir with her gentle piano ballad "Hush Hush Baby", a song that was originally a birthday present for her mother. But first things first.

Suomenlinna is a Fortress built in the 18th century and is often called the "Gibraltar of the North". Although the archipelago, which has around 800 inhabitants, is only a 15 minute ferry ride from the Finnish capital of Helsinki, things are quite different there. "Suomenlinna is like a little bubble. Growing up there was really great", recalls Lxandra. "There were a lot of families in the neighbourhood. As kids, we always met up outside, and the islands were our playground." When Lxandra was not out playing with the other kids, she liked to make music. Not only did she start learning classical piano at the age of six but also sang in the choir. "It never occurred to me that I'd become a singer", she laughs. "My dream was to become an actor. I wanted to go to Hollywood, and I even promised my dad that I would take him to the Oscars someday."

But things don't always go quite as planned. While studying at Tölö Specialiseringsgymnasium, a Music Highschool in Helsinki, Lxandra's passion for singing continued to grow, until a visit to Finnish producer Perttu Kurttila in Berlin in early 2015 finally changed her life. "We wrote a few songs together, including my first single 'Flicker'. After that, I knew it was something I wanted to do forever", she explains. She moved to Berlin soon after. "That was the best decision I've ever made in my life. I used to be very traditional, and wanted everything to stay the same forever. I think many young people feel that way because it's safe. But at some point, that changed for me. I want to see the world and experience things."

And so the little girl from Suomenlinna became a self-assured young woman who knows exactly what she wants. This is clear from Lxandra's art. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered, from her outfits to the visuals of her videos. All of these details together present an intricate artistic vision. "I admire self-confident artists like Lana Del Rey or Sia, who don't just sing but have a big picture in mind – a vision. I think it’s noticeable", she says. "That's why it's important to me to present myself artistically as I am. Because nobody else can be like you are."

Right now, Lxandra is working on her debut album, which will be released by the end of this year. In her songs, she combines electronic influences with classical piano, while powerful choruses meet atmospheric, gentle sounds. It's like a Berlin club that turns into a Finnish log cabin. Even lyrically, Lxandra often blends several things together. Her debut single "Flicker", for example, which was released in early 2017 and has nearly reached the 1 million mark on Spotify, sounds like a love song at first. "It's also about letting go, whether it has to do with another person or yourself. It's about starting a new chapter", she says. "All of my songs are basically about three things: how I see the world, relationships and intimate stories, or about my inner struggles as a 21-year-old. These themes often overlap."

A good example is her new single "Dig Deep". Although the song was created long before the #MeToo movement, it couldn't be more relevant. The lyrics and the video criticise the image of women that still reigns in our society. "Women quickly become 'too much' in the eyes of our society. They are expected to be calm and quiet", says Lxandra. "This theme is repeated in the video's visuals. We portray a strong, loud and free woman that many people fear, because the world is still not used to it. We’re not just portraying the pretty girl next door who keeps her mouth shut. This also reflects the #MeToo campaign. It's about speaking out when things are unfair." The video is also closely tied to the "Flicker" video. In "Dig Deep", the protagonist breaks out from the "Flicker" video and frees herself, even if society won't accept her.

But there’s still space for the simple and intuitive, such as the aforementioned song "Hush Hush Baby". "You gave me strength when I felt weak / You got me up when I dived too deep", Lxandra sings. "My mother's birthday is around Christmas, and when I went home at the end of 2016 she asked me if I could play a little concert at her party. I decided to write a song for her as a surprise and play it at the very end of the set. That was a very emotional moment", she says. "Actually, I didn't plan to release the song, but because so many people liked it, I uploaded it to my SoundCloud playlist." And just like that, "Hush Hush Baby", who's vocal track is still the first demo recording, became the song for Saturn's pre-Christmas campaign. That's how quickly things can happen. So, surely there's still time for that Oscar too. Lxandra laughs. "Maybe I'll win one for best song. Then I can take my dad with me after all!"