Donna Missal hasn’t belted out a big note in a while, and that’s a shame because she’s really good at them. On her first and second records, titled This Time and last summer’s Lighter respectively, the American musician made her name as an incendiary rock-style vocalist with lots to say; genuinely full-body-chills brilliant. But like many others, the confines of her home as lockdown set in has made those notes a rarity. It’s given her time to think about how she does things, and so here comes a cut of surreal, swirling-down-the-rabbit-hole synth-pop in its place.
“sex is good (but have you tried)”, produced by Sega Bodega, is one of those songs that turns your skin into marshmallows. The kind so weirdly intimate and revealing that you sort of feel like Donna Missal has set up camp inside of your head and is scribing your dreams and secrets as you think them. The track, which feels different from her previous (though similarly excellent) work, explores things better than sex, like taking off your clothes in the mirror in the night. “Sex is good until you cum,” she sings. And that’s the mood right there.
The track’s equally gorgeous video is premiering below, and so we spoke to Donna, who gave us 10 enlightening morsels of information about the song, life and how to find satisfaction in an age where measurable success defines so many.
1. Some might call this her third ‘era’, but she’s not really thinking about it
“I’ve been trying this thing where I’m more actively present in whatever moment I’m in, [but] I’m sure I’ll look back on this one day like, ‘Ah yes, that era!’.
2. This song exists in a slightly different sonic universe from her other work, but she knew it felt right
“I’ve been given very good advice to just trust your tastes, especially when experimenting, and not worry so much about all the rest. If you like it, that’s enough to feel good about it.”
3. She’s never met Sega Bodega IRL
“[We first spoke] on DMs. I had been following him as a fan and we got to chatting, so I started to send vocal ideas right away hoping for a collaboration to grow. It was pretty instantaneous from there. He’s a good friend now, though we haven’t met in person.”
4. She has one word to describe the song that shouldn’t usually be used to describe music
“Wet.”
5. Google doesn’t know the truth about her hometown
“The Google assessment of New Jersey is largely misleading, but I’m from a small suburb outside of a college town, where I first started seeing live shows as a teenager. I don’t know about now, but as a teen interested in music and wanting to join a band, the live music circuit there was very available, and the community very warm.”
6. The track’s glitchy music video is an amalgamation of “bits” of Donna’s lockdown life
“I can’t believe what [the video’s director, Rodrigo] turned out from the bits of video I sent him. He describes his concepts and it’s like listening to poetry. I have been collecting the video footage he used for some months now. I have been loving the trust and creative process with him, like if he asks for personal videos and photos from my phone, I don’t have to ask any questions because I know he has a vision and will turn it out. He’s another lovely person I am lucky to call a friend that I haven’t yet met IRL.”
7. Donna can seriously sing, which isn’t apparent from this whisper bop. If she could whisper or belt forever, she thinks she’d choose the latter
“I don’t know the answer to this, though there is something about vocalising with all the power in my body that feels like a direct line to my soul, if you can believe it.”
8. She made a fun discovery over the past year
“I thought being precious about art was the only way to make art. It’s not necessarily the worst [option], but the alternative of throwing caution [to the wind] and winging it is way more fun.”
9. This is a COVID-safe song. As such, Donna has good lockdown advice
“Get to know yourself and enjoy the time you spend alone while you can. Your isolation may feel like it’s purpose is only to protect others, but imagine it’s also a time for you to reach beneath the surface of yourself and see what’s there.”
10. What else does she think is overrated? Virality
“It creates a sense of a void in the wake of it [and] its absence. It perpetuates the spinning wheel mentality that appeals to our hustle and social media saturated culture. Being out there in real world experiencing real world things is underrated.”
Stream “sex is good but have you tried…” on all the regular streaming platforms here, and follow i-D on Instagram and TikTok for more music.