- Words Cleo Webster
The true Capricorn and Jersey Native invites us to the Spring Ball she's never had following the release of her new single 'Jupiter'.
Bringing Prom season to North America this year in her headline tour This Time, Donna Missal is one girl you wish you went to school with. The singer-songwriter sparked her way into her dream career through caring less and following her heart, heavily inspired by her musically talented family who owned a recording studio in New York City throughout the 80s. Signed to Harvest Records, Donna’s career blossomed from the 1.5 million streams she amassed on streaming platforms for Keep Lying, a track she wrote for the Independent film How to be A Man (2013). Since her success, the Pop and Soul singer has collaborated with the likes of Macklemore and Rudimental, as well as dropping her new single “Jupiter” from her new album This Time, which, with an unapologetic and fiery sound, really shows how dynamic she can be.
“Don’t go fucking with my fantasies” Donna’s explosion of passion is the reason she is turning our heads. Becoming the ideal vehicle to swoon us to better days following her reoccurring themes of heartbreak, betrayal and power, her timeless yet fiercely emotional voice encapsulates a sense of self-discovery, value and freedom. With a smooth RnB groove deeply influenced by artists like Christina Aguleria, Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill and Janes Japlin, our Internet Crush on Donna leads us to ask her some of our most intimate questions from heartbreak to star signs.
What is the closest you have ever come to death?
My DUI when I was 20 that is still keeping me from getting into Canada to play shows.
Tell us, what is your first memory of music?
6 years old, singing acapella in my dad’s makeshift studio in our basement, top of my lungs, arms out wide in a puffy Christmas dress. Been singing since.
What’s your star sign? (and are you a typical *whatever your sign is*?)
I’m a Capricorn and I’m pretty sure that means stubborn and business-minded, and that I definitely identify with.
When was the first time you had your heart broken? (who by? how did it feel? what did you do?)
Recently. I did something really shitty and was broken up with as a result. I hurt both of us. They took me back on a promise to change. I believe in accepting yourself but growth is crucial. Realizing your shortcomings and having the self-respect and willingness to want to work that shit out of yourself. I’m in therapy now, it was the push I needed to become a better person.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Julia Roberts <3 (and still is)
What was the first song you ever wrote?
I’ve been writing songs since I was a little kid so it’s hard to say, but I wrote my song ‘Girl’ when I was 18 and it’s the first time I remember having that feeling of like “I think I just wrote a song”
Be patient, persistent, and retain your creative control.
What has been your biggest achievement?
I think every day that I don’t give up on myself is the kind of achievement that makes this pursuit possible.
How was high school?
I was homeschooled! But I did start attending a theatre school in high school, studying voice and dance and acting and directing and theatre history…I loved it. It wasn’t until my senior year that I shifted into writing and playing my own music, but I think it had a lot to do with starting in theatre first. A lot of what I do now I think has been informed by my education in theatre.
Describe your own personal idea of hell…
Losing my voice.
What’s a lie you’ve told and what was the fallout?
Lying to myself that I did not want to be an artist. The fallout was years of holding myself back. The benefit was using those years to shed the oppression that so many women experience of comparison and competition. The feeling of being less-than capable. I told myself that I was incapable for a long time.
Which superpower would you most like to have, and why?
I’d like to say I would want the ability to see into the future. I just want to know if the planet will somehow withstand the damage we’ve caused.
What is one album that totally changed your life?
Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor was the first album I ever bought myself on CD. The songwriting, the production using timeless sounds and real instruments with modern sampling, and the natural vocal production just totally influenced my concept of quality music from that point. I studied it religiously.
When was the last time you cried, and why?
Just last week I was crying over my acne, which has been my latest experience with accepting myself as I am. It’s something that I emphasize heavily in my music and my message, but can be really difficult to apply to myself. I was deciding whether or not – after a really bad breakout – I should wear makeup for my music video shoot. I felt vulnerable and exposed and embarrassed but ultimately decided not to cover it up. It was my first time directing and I wanted to make the decision from the perspective of a director, but I was really afraid to be the subject and have a camera in my face. Currently, there are not any representations of people with acne who are normal and happy. We see acne used to characterize the dejected kid in school, or the girl in the advertisement trying to get rid of it with a product. Social media glorifies clear complexion in a constant stream, and the general attitude around acne is embarrassment and desperation to be rid of it. I want to see people with acne represented as normal characters with just as broad a range of emotion as anyone else. I realize that what I’m dealing with currently isn’t as severe as it is for some people so I cried out of confusion and fear, unsure if I should make myself a representation of what I wanted to see more of and if I were the right vessel for that. Inevitably it came down to remembering that artists can impact culture and that’s the kind of artist I want to be. The music video is for my song ‘Jupiter’ and I’m really proud of it for that reason.
Where/what will you be doing at the end of the world?
If the world ends while I’m still around, I hope I’m living out in the mountains somewhere so I can get a good view.