Last October, Dallas singer BeMyFiasco shared her debut album Where I Left You, which was intended to be a love letter to the work of Missy Elliott, Timbaland, and Da Bassment Cru. A list of inspirations like that might lead some people to create something entirely self-serious, but Where I Left You manages to remain lighthearted throughout. Freeing, dancefloor-ready tracks like “Through the Middle” balance out heavier ones like the Little Brother-assisted “Outside the Lines.”

Today, BeMyFiasco is sharing the video for “2 Car Garage,” which was animated by CrypticDonuts (Tavia McMillan). There isn’t another song on Where I Left You like it. The song originally started as a voice note Phonte recorded, hoping that it would fit on an album he was working on at the time, but the match wasn’t right. Phonte ended up holding onto the memo until BeMyFiasco told him about her experience chasing dreams in Los Angeles. The result is a whimsical (and true) story about BeMyFiasco moving to L.A. to chase her dreams of being a musician and moving in with someone she found on Facebook.

“My approach was somewhat like a story book sort of format, which was something Phonte and I discussed and came to really love the idea of,” McMillan said about the video. “I thought it would be fitting for it to have the light-heartedness of shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time, but also have the uniqueness in style and visual story. Normally, I go through the process of designing the characters first, then storyboarding and timing things out for animation. Once all of this is completed, then the bulk of the work is the animation itself and all background details to bring it all together.”

Below, watch the video for “2 Car Garage,” read a brief interview with BeMyFiasco, and see a list of her upcoming live shows.

The FADER: How did you originally connect with Phonte? You feel like such a natural fit for the Foreign Exchange camp.

We actually met on Twitter. I sent him a track of my Layers EP called “Monday Morning Blues.” I told him it was FE inspired. After a couple weeks, he finally responded with his coveted “fish grease” and the rest is history. I was such a Foreign Exchange stan that I always knew I would work with him, it was just figuring out when. The first track we worked on was “Violets” for the Robert Glasper, Miles Davis tribute album, Everything’s Beautiful in 2016.

“2 Car Garage” reminds me a lot of the parody ad jingles that Devin Morrison, who you collaborated with on “U And I,” uploads to YouTube and the Phonte’s Percy Miracles persona. I really admire artists who can inject that kind of humor into their work. Does that come easy for you?

First off, I just had to head over to YouTube to check the Devin joints and wow, as if I couldn’t love his work any more. But, I’ve always been making up ridiculous songs since I was kid. I’m sure there’s some VHS footage of it somewhere. I also do impromptu jams where I make up songs right on the spot during my live sets, so I love that challenge. With “2 Car Garage,” it’s funny because it is so outlandish and such a millennial thing to do.

It’s so wild to me that “2 Car Garage” is based on a true story—I can’t imagine moving somewhere new to chase your dreams and having your car break down on you. What was that moment like for you?

Traumatizing. Lol. Having to leave your space with nowhere to go & no vehicle will make you rethink your entire existence. One day, I’ll have to document the process of actually finding that car. Who knows where it’s at almost 3 years later.

One thing about Where I Left You that I really love is how many styles you manage to incorporate into such a short album. There’s upbeat dance tracks, passionate, conversational duets, lovesick ballads, neo-soul, and classic hip-hop soul numbers. It really reminds me of an R&B album from the 2000s in that way. Was showing off that range one of your intentions for this album?

We set out to make an album that we loved & in the process we were able to find these different pockets. I love that you can experience all of those elements within a 30-minute project. Phonte did an excellent job on the beat selection & sequencing and we wrote what felt good to us. I formed my sound during the early 2000’s so I can’t help but be influenced by those artists.

Before dedicating yourself fully to music, you used to work as a kindergarten teacher and were studying to be a therapist. Those are both jobs with a heavy focus on communication. You have to recognize the right way to say something to someone since these things vary. Has that influenced the way you approach songwriting at all?

Surprisingly, yes. As a kindergarten teacher, most things have to be broken down to their most simplest parts to be understood. In songwriting, sometimes simplicity reaches the listener faster than something super conceptual. As a former therapist-in-training, I learned how important non-verbal communication is, so I create moments in the song where the feeling is more prominent than the actual words I write. People may not always remember the words to your song but they’ll never forget the feeling.

BeMyFiasco 2022 live dates

4/24 – Atlanta, GA – World Natural Hair & Healthy Lifestyle Event
5/22 – Washington, DC – City Winery*
5/25 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery*

* = with Sy Smith