Donna Missal has returned. The powerhouse singer-songwriter recently released her new song “Flicker” as an independent artist via ADA Worldwide. The track is a fierce and focused redirection, navigating uncertain ground after being released from her previous label. It is her first release since her 2022 EP “In The Mirror, In The Night.”
Originally from New Jersey and now based in Los Angeles, Donna Missal has a discography full of songs that run the gamut from slow-burn jams to upbeat bops, all with a throughline of emotional intensity anchored by her otherworldly powerful voice. Her more recent music has taken on an electronic edge: she and The Knocks released the club-ready song “Bang Bang” in 2022; and through a collaboration with UK-based producer Sega Bodega, the songs “(to me) your face is love” and “sex is good (but have you tried)” came to life. Her first two albums, This Time (2018) and Lighter (2020), featured tinges of darker, alt-R&B flavor and pop-rock, country-leaning styles, respectively. The carousel of musical styles serve as a whole to support Donna’s ambitions as a singer, and her reputation to be able to make any style of music bend to her will.
The spirited electro-pop of “Flicker” immediately soars. The production, helmed alongside electronic producers Ceci Gomez and Veronika Jane Wyman of DAGR (King Princess, Portugal. The Man), and Billboard (Robyn, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande), is a fluttering and frenetic catharsis. Synths and strings harmonize and compliment each other here, making you feel like you’re on a singular mission of self-discovery. Donna’s effortless vocals whirl around all of this, perched on the precipice of a new version of herself. When something flickers, it creates a moment in time that oscillates between two opposites, often extreme in nature. Here, these opposing forces represent old and new versions of the self, both physically and spiritually.
Of the song, Donna has stated: “I wrote Flicker with my friends after I got dropped from my record deal, so it’s got this fierce energy about it. It’s my way of coming out of that experience swinging, fighting for myself.” This determined spark anchors the airy dance track to an earnestly practical and relatable foundation. “Flicker” is where you find yourself climbing out of the rabbit hole, and surrendering to a newer, more empowering strength.
Donna kept in theme with the song’s messages of transcending and re-discovery through her performance of an intricately-choreographed dance in the song’s music video. She documented the process as physically demanding and transformative in a short video, also discussing the personal meaning behind launching herself into such a new and challenging endeavor. “It’s about… transcending and enduring,” Donna says of the whole development. In the music video, she dances inside a warehouse-type location as the song sparks and crackles in the background. Around halfway through, it looks like heat is beginning to rise off of her; there’s a silhouette-shaped blurring around her edges. She then encounters a reflection of herself briefly, before it runs away. The lights begin to strobe as the song nears its end, and Donna retreats to the floor where she finishes the piece. The raw feverishness of the track is most apparent in these offbeat, fluttering moments.
With this new single, Donna ushers in a bright new chapter of her music career. Off the strength of this comeback, anticipation for more of her music has never been higher. Stream “Flicker” here, and check out more of her music here.
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