Alpaca-in-Chief—known to longtime readers as the mischievous, melodically minded alter-ego of Daniel Berdichevsky makes a return to Beat the Usual with his release, “Ex-God in a Toga.” If his earlier track “M Building” hinted at a songwriter joyfully unafraid of strange angles and cerebral humor, this single cements him as an artist who thrives exactly where wit, wonder, and existential side-eye intersect.
For the uninitiated, Alpaca-in-Chief has always been part songwriter, part storyteller, part cosmic jester—an artist who folds philosophy into pop and smuggles jokes into moments of genuine introspection. Born from the same creative DNA that built the World Scholar’s Cup, AIC represents Berdichevsky’s musical persona: the one who thinks in melodies when others think in bullet points, the one his team long teased about his “musical bent” before he finally let it roam free in public.
Written on Election Night 2024, the song embodies that surreal cocktail of dread and hilarity that comes when history seems to be spinning a little too fast. It’s a track that laughs at the chaos while acknowledging its weight, painting a world where even gods check out early and leave humanity to puzzle over the absurdity.
The titular “Ex-God” is never named—an omission that gives the track mythic universality. He could be anyone, anything: a fallen deity, a toppled leader, a symbol of fading certainty in a world where even the divine can burn out. There’s humor here, yes, but also a sharp poignancy. The song never lets you forget that ridiculousness and darkness often share a border.
Berdichevsky’s vocal performance leans perfectly into the song’s playful yet reflective spirit. His delivery is conversational but sly, the tone of someone inviting you in on an inside joke about the apocalypse. There’s an ease to the way he navigates the lyrics—an unforced charisma that makes even the more outlandish imagery feel grounded.
You hear the smile in his voice, but you also hear the irony and the fatigue and the wonder. That balance creates the song’s charm: it’s quirky without ever losing its emotional intelligence. Sonically, “Ex-God in a Toga” is bright with jangle-infused guitar textures that shimmer beneath the lyrical eccentricity. The instrumentation is playful, almost effervescent, giving the track a folk-pop buoyancy that counterbalances its themes of disillusionment and cosmic comedy.
Alpaca-in-Chief has always been a singular presence: part troubadour, part raconteur, part benevolent cosmic trickster. And with “Ex-God in a Toga,” he has once again reminded us that music can be funny, unsettling, smart, and catchy all at once. If the world is going to end in absurdity, at least we have artists like him to soundtrack the spectacle with style, humor, and heart.
Listen to “M Building” on Spotify
