Checking Up on Donna Missal
Music

Checking Up on Donna Missal

"Sex is good, but have you tried fucking with yourself?" sings Donna Missal on her new Sega Bodega-produced track — a relatable prompt after a year of sexless social distancing and learning to live with your own loneliness. "Sex is good until you cum," she continues, outlining the benefits of fearlessly digging just a bit deeper. "I might change your type/ I might change your life."

The track began as a simple a cappella idea before UK-based Bodega put Missal's vocals through his signature vocoder. Much like its subject matter, the production is a result of bare-bones quarantine creativity and sounds like it was developed remotely from an intimate, safe location — equally gentle and extremely online.

"'sex is good (but have you tried)' is what came out of me in quarantine life, the product of my bedroom being my environment and everything around me becoming so small and intimate," Missal says, adding that it's "such a reflection of this internet-centric thing going on in music."

She continues, explaining how "sex is good (but have you tried)" is a shift from her previous releases. "It's so different for me because I've always been like a performer-singer," she says, "and this is definitely my first time working from a different place than I previously was, both physically and mentally."

Below, PAPER checked up on Donna Missal to talk about her daily routines, online activity and the role of artists in 2021.

What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

pee

What's the last thing you do before you go to bed?

put on a rain meditation lol probably why i have to pee

Have you texted an ex yet in isolation?

yeah

Who's the last person you hugged?

my sis :)

What's your go-to delivery order?
any noodle

What was the last concert you attended?

Rosalia <\3

Where is the first place you'll travel once the world opens up again?

i'd hope for it to be someplace i've never been like Japan

What website do you visit the most?

dictionary.com

What's one thing you've learned this year that you didn't know this time last year?
I learned how to record my own vocals

How have you managed to stay creative in quarantine?
giving myself a break to live some feelings through before trying to turn them into anything, and sharing ideas online with inspiring people

How has the state of the world impacted your music-making?

i have had to keep my voice down, like sing quiet when at home. i've started writing lyric first while at home, too. recording myself is a change. everything is different

What is the role of a musician in 2021?

to evolve. to give people concerts again

Stream "sex is good (but have you tried)" by Donna Missal, below.

Photos courtesy of Donna Missal