Xandra Pohl follows her musical passion, entering the scene as a DJ on a serious path to stardom.

The Attico dress, modaoperandi.com; her own headphones. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA, STYLED BY NAT ROSENFELD, CREATIVE DIRECTION BY SKMCREATIVE.CO, HAIR BY DAVIAN WEIBERLEN AT PETER ALEXANDER SALON, MAKEUP BY JOJO MARCHEVSKY

Within minutes of meeting Xandra Pohl, professionally known as Xandra (@xandrapohl), I knew a few things. First, when you’re with her or talking to her, there’s never a dull moment. She is consistently entertaining. Second, she’s unapologetically herself. And third, she’s extremely creative and passionate about what she does. One of the first things she told me was, “I’m totally crazy, and I’m not logical whatsoever. I’ll tell everyone that it’s just how I was born and how I’ll always be.”

The Attico dress, modaoperandi.com; her own headphones. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

And from what I’ve gathered, that is exactly what makes her so good at what she does.

A natural artist and a music lover, Xandra was drawn to DJing as early as high school. When we’re shooting for our cover, her mom, Lynda, is there to support her.

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“She’s my one kid I can’t control, and she can be unpredictable. She told me one day, ‘I want to be a DJ.’ So we went out and got her a starter board, and she immediately blew through it. She was obsessed. And she quickly graduated to using real equipment and DJing from when she was as young as 18. It was amazing.”

When she got to college at University of Miami, Xandra was faced with a rude awakening. Given it’s one of the music capitals of the country, and the university has a thriving Greek scene, Xandra was eager to perform everywhere from the clubs to the frats.

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“There’s nothing boys hate more than when a girl is better than them at something,” she recalls, explaining the pushback she received from the male DJs on the frat scene. “So it was definitely hard. It’s such a male-dominated industry, and from the moment I started, it’s been a struggle to get people to take me seriously as a female DJ. I remember wanting to play the clubs in Miami, and no one would pay me unless I got a bigger social following. That’s when I really started posting on social media. I didn’t expect much of it, but I was candidly myself, and it took off pretty immediately. Before I knew it, during my senior year, I was getting tons of traction and even had someone recognize me for the first time. It all changed from there,” she says.

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But with the blessings of social media also comes the negative elements, and Xandra not only had to combat being a woman in the music industry, but now also being a female influencer in the music industry.

“It’s been challenging getting so much attention on social media and having this whole other influencer realm, because a lot of people think I started DJing after growing a following and that I’m new to it, so they don’t take me seriously. Meanwhile, this is something I’ve been working on for six or seven years. But I’ve realized you just have to kill them with kindness,” she says. “I’ll say, ‘OK, then come to my show and see if you have a good time. If you don’t, then I’m not for you.’ But the biggest thing for me has been people that have so many opinions but have never seen me play.”

Over the past few months, Xandra’s DJing career has propelled her to new heights, and many pinch-me moments have come along the way. From opening up for Kygo at Palm Tree Music Festival and Calvin Harris at Pegasus World Cup to playing the legendary Ushuaïa in Ibiza and The Snow Lodge in Aspen, Xandra has been nonstop on a plane or the road, selling out shows at some of the biggest music venues.

The Attico dress, modaoperandi.com; her own headphones. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

Over the past few months, she did a domestic run where she played multiple shows per week in different cities. And coming up soon, she’ll be on a full domestic tour, making stops throughout the country, from college towns to renowned nightlife destinations like Tao.

Signed with Palm Tree Records, helmed by Myles Shear and Kygo, Xandra’s career is the stuff she could have only dreamed of as an 18-year-old high school girl.

The Attico dress, modaoperandi.com; her own headphones. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“I seriously never thought I’d be signed with a team like this. Being accepted by one of the best in the industry is the craziest feeling. I still can’t believe it every day. Sometimes I tell myself, ‘Wait, Kygo knows who I am. I was at Ultra crying to his set, idolizing him, and now we have the same manager. I never could have imagined this,” she says.

When she’s not touring, she’s been working on her first single with the Palm Tree team for the past six months. It’s nearing its completion, and she teases that we can expect to hear it out soon (and maybe even in time for this issue release).

“It’s been surreal to work on my first single. I’ve been working with producers to figure out who I am as an artist. I love all types of music, so it’s about narrowing down what type of music I want to put out there, what I stand for and what I want my sound to be,” she explains. “It’s made me look inward a lot, and it will be my first impression to show everyone what my career will look like. It’s a ton of pressure, but I’m excited.”

The Attico dress, modaoperandi.com; her own headphones. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

Another thing Xandra will make perfectly clear is that she’s doing this for the girls. Her music will be for the girls, her vibe is for the girls, and she’s going to be hyped up to play by her female icons like Tate McRae and Dua Lipa before each show.

“My whole thing is, when I go and I play my sets, I’m playing them for the girls because I believe the girls are having fun,” she explains. “Guys are going to be having fun because the girls are having fun.”

This mentality meshes well with her new single era. After having been in three serious relationships since she was 15, and having recently undergone a tough breakup, Xandra is ready to enter her next phase of life on her own.

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“I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is in your control,” she shares on coming out of her recent breakup. “You can’t control the people that come in and out of your life. You can only control who you are, what you do and how you react to what other people do. And I feel like it’s so freeing, just understanding that everything is out of your control. I feel like that’s been really helping me. Sometimes, I want to cry and scream and punch a pillow, and I’ll do that. I don’t try to hold anything in and act like I’m OK, because it’s OK not to be OK.”

She continues, “I already feel so much better. They say people grieve relationships before they end. I’ve been grieving for a while, and I just feel like I was being held back a little bit, and I am ready to shine on my own. I don’t need to worry about anyone but myself right now.”

Xandra has openly shared this process with her followers on social media but admits that, at times, it can be challenging to share everything—and she’s learned she has to put her mental health first.

JBQ dress, jbqthelabel.com; Gucci sunglasses, modaoperandi.com. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“It’s one of the lessons I’ve realized going through this point in my life and sharing it all online and being so vulnerable—everything eventually comes out, but I need to focus on my mental health and how I’m doing first. I love my fans more than anything in the entire world. I feel like we’re one big friend group. They want to know every tiny detail about my life. I love them for that. And I will continue to share most of my life with them,” she says. “But I’ve realized sometimes I need to process my emotions and think about the consequences of putting everything out there before doing so because everyone has their opinion. It’s part of social media. And you have to be prepared for that.”

In dealing with the negativity of being a public figure, Xandra has a strong outlook on remaining herself.

“There will always be negative people. But your supporters will always be louder,” she says. “I feel like I’m just so confident in myself and know what type of person I am. I feel like nobody could ever say anything that makes me think differently. That’s why I’m thankful for the way that I was raised. Because if there’s one thing you can count on, I will forever be confident in who I am. If you don’t like me, that’s fine. I know I’m definitely a big personality. I feel like sometimes it’s weird if everyone loves and adores you. It means you’re kind of boring.”

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And no one can ever accuse Xandra of being boring. With a firecracker personality, a witty sense of humor and a strong loyalty to those closest to her, Xandra is taking on the music industry head-on. And I’m confident no one will stand in her way.

“It’s definitely been hard and will continue to be hard. But it’s just one of those things where I know who I am, I know what I do and what I’ve been doing for many years. And I’m just going to keep pushing that narrative because that’s my life, and I love what I do.”

XANDRA UP CLOSE

STAUD shirt and skirt, staud.clothing; Cult Gaia heels, cultgaia.com; Wish Fine Jewelry earrings and ring, wishfinejewelry.com. PHOTO BY: DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

WHAT ARE YOUR HOLY GRAIL BEAUTY PRODUCTS RIGHT NOW?

I honestly have too many to count, but some favorites are: Caudalie vinoperfect serum, Ole Henriksen banana bright eye creme, Hourglass hydrating skin tint, Frek, Makeup Forever lip liner in wherever walnut, Givenchy prisme libre loose setting powder, Got2B glue for slicked-back hair, Kérastase’s nutritive line, facial radiance pads by First Aid Beauty.

FAVORITE GOING-OUT SPOT IN MIAMI:

Start at Socialista, then end the night at E11EVEN.

FAVORITE WORKOUT:

I am the queen of walking.

FAVORITE CASUAL MEAL:

Chicken Kitchen

BEST GROUP DINNER DESTINATION:

MILA

FAVORITE BEAUTY OR SPA DESTINATION:

Hanic Salon in Coral Gables

BEST SHOPPING DESTINATION:

Miami Design District or I love The Webster.

DREAM MUSIC COLLABORATION:

Dua Lipa, I love her so much. I also love Kesha and Avril Lavigne.

STAUD shirt and skirt, staud.clothing; Cult Gaia heels, cultgaia.com; Wish Fine Jewelry earrings and ring, wishfinejewelry.com.

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