Superheroes Meet Existential Crisis: Father John Misty's New Single Sets Up a December Tour

Comic-book-universe terms like "Colossus," "inter-dimensional virus," and "crossover event" show up in a single song—sung by none other than Father John Misty, the guy who's always circling weddings, apocalypse, and mental health. That linguistic disconnect is exactly what makes his new single "The X-panded Universe" worth a listen.

This marks Josh Tillman's third new song released this year, following "The Payoff" and "The Old Law" (originally titled "God's Trash"). The track opens with sparse instrumentation and a skeletal beat, with the first verse delivering lines like "'25?/ The chair-bound oracle/ Dr Valence/ Can't believe/ That this girl is the perfect weapon/ He was sent here to retrieve"—almost like narration over a comic panel. Strings then enter, building into lush orchestral textures as the lyrics shift toward darker territory: "Upstate there are more like her/ But Colossus isn't sure/ This Texas Candy heiress/ Between medications/ On a padded room floor/ Is our last hope."

In the song's back half, Tillman pulls the superhero narrative back toward the themes he's always circled—faith and salvation. The line "God is only as good as the villains he invents" lays the whole worldview bare: this universe of parallel timelines and "heroes don't x-ist" ultimately points back to "human love is true" and the recurring refrain "everyone gets saved." "The X-panded Universe" was written by Tillman, arranged by Drew Erickson, and produced by the two together.

Alongside the new song, Father John Misty has announced his winter US tour this year, with Damien Jurado serving as opening guest. The run kicks off December 9 at Boulder Theatre in Boulder, Colorado, passing through Fort Collins, Santa Fe, Tucson, Napa, and Grass Valley before wrapping with two back-to-back shows on December 18 and 19 at Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. General on-sale begins Friday, October 2 at 10am local time, with presale info available through Ticketmaster.

Ahead of the tour's official kickoff, Tillman's originally scheduled headline show on October 6 at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles has already sold out. Back in June, he brought his "Evening With Father John Misty" tour to London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, followed by a US and Canada run continuing through fall. His sixth and latest studio album, "Mahashmashana," was released in late 2024.