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D4vd
American singer (born 2005) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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David Anthony Burke (born March 28, 2005), known professionally as D4vd,[a] is an American singer and songwriter. In 2022, he released the singles "Here with Me" and "Romantic Homicide", which gained widespread popularity on TikTok and resulted in him signing with Darkroom and Interscope Records.
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Burke began making music at his mother's recommendation as a way to avoid YouTube copyright strikes on his Fortnite gameplay montages. Following several releases in 2023, Burke released two extended plays (EPs), Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals, the former charting in five regions. In 2024, Burke released five singles, including his third single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, "Feel It". His debut studio album, Withered, was released in 2025.
In late 2025, 14-year-old[b] Celeste Rivas Hernandez's decomposed remains were discovered inside an impounded Tesla registered in Burke's name. A property occupied by Burke was searched by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and the deluxe edition of his album, along with his Withered World tour, was canceled. The remaining tour dates and the release of a deluxe version of Withered were canceled after the identification.[2][3] A cause of death has not been determined, but the LAPD are investigating it as a potential homicide.
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Early life
David Anthony Burke was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City,[4] his family later moved to Houston, Texas.[5] After seventh grade, he was homeschooled.[6][7] Until he was 13, he exclusively listened to gospel music.[6][8]
Burke later discovered the indie music genre through a Fortnite montage.[9] In 2021, Burke uploaded his own Fortnite montages, resulting in the beginning of his career in music.[10] Burke described feeling somewhat isolated as a teenager, living "vicariously" by the experiences of his internet friends.[11][12] Due to being homeschooled, he frequently made references to circumstances in his music that he had not yet encountered.[6]
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Career
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2021–2022: Early career and rise to prominence
Burke's music career started when he uploaded gaming montages of the video game Fortnite.[4][6] To avoid receiving copyright strikes, he created his own music.[13][14] He released his music to SoundCloud, including songs such as "You and I",[15] "Take Me to the Sun",[15] and "Runaway".[16] He chose the stage name "d4vd" in part because of a desire to increase his search engine optimization.[17] He released the single "Romantic Homicide" on July 20, 2022, following TikTok snippets of it becoming viral.[6][18]
"Romantic Homicide" charted at No. 3 on the Hot Alternative Songs charts and appeared at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[14] marking his first entry on the chart.[13][19] The music video, which was inspired by film noir,[20] was nominated for Music Video (Independent) during the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[21] After he witnessed others reuse his music, he later stated in an interview "...I was like, 'Okay, this could be something', so I kept making songs."[8]
The song's success led to Burke being contacted by Darkroom and Interscope Records,[22] and signing with the label in September 2022.[18][23] First released on SoundCloud before "Romantic Homicide", Burke's next single, "Here with Me", was released to streaming platforms in September 2022.[15] The song entered multiple charts following its use on TikTok,[6] most notably at No. 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reaching the top ten in Singapore. The majority of these songs were produced using a freemium DAW called BandLab.[24]
2023–2024: Extended plays
On May 26, 2023, Burke's debut EP, Petals to Thorns,[7][14] was released through Darkroom and Interscope Records.[25][26] His second EP was released on September 8, The Lost Petals,[24] which was an extension of the former.[14][27] "Here with Me", released in 2022, reached the top 40 in 2023.[28] In July 2023, he was featured on "Superbloodmoon", a single from Holly Humberstone's debut album. Burke performed as an opening act for SZA's SOS Tour.[16][24]
Burke released two promotional singles, "Leave Her" and "2016", as a double single titled "Withering" on February 9, 2024.[29] In March, he joined gaming and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves as a content creator. In the same month, Burke released the single "Feel It" for the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video's television series Invincible.[30] On December 19, 2024, he released the single "Where'd It Go Wrong?". Burke performed "Remember Me", featured on the soundtrack for the second season of steampunk action-adventure television series Arcane.[31]
2025–present: Debut album and investigation
On February 7, 2025, he released the single "One More Dance". On February 28, he released the single "Crashing" with Kali Uchis,[32] followed by "What Are You Waiting For" on March 28. An album showcase for his debut studio album Withered occurred at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines.[33] At his Coachella debut performance, he faceplanted while attempting a backflip.[34][35]
The Withered tour commenced in August, however September 8, 2025, a body was discovered in a tesla registered to him. As a result of the discovery, Crocs and Hollister Co. removed promotional content featuring Burke the next day.[36] The concerts slated for September 19 and 20 were canceled amid the identification of human remains found in a Tesla registered to Burke.[2][37] The deluxe edition of Withered, subtitled Marcescence, expected for a September 19 release, was shelved along with planned appearances, and Interscope suspended all promotion of Burke.[2][38] In the following days, the tour's European and Australian shows, and Burke's planned performance at Spilt Milk in December, were canceled.[39][40] Kali Uchis stated that she was trying to get their song "Crashing" removed from streaming services following the incident.[32] During the investigation, Burke's music streams on Spotify doubled from the previous week.[41]
Influences
In an interview with the Japanese YouTuber Takashii, while Burke was in Japan for yearly festival Fuji Rock, he stated that anime is "one of my biggest influences",[10][14] including series such as Dragon Ball Z,[14] Naruto, and My Hero Academia.
Over time, touring with artists like SZA and building real-world connections allowed him to infuse more personal, "evolved" maturity into his work, as he reflected in a 2025 interview with People.[42]
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Personal life
Burke identifies as a Christian. He once said in an interview with Astrophe Magazine: "I get my personal power from God for sure. I am a heavy believer in the Christian faith."[43]
Legal issues
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On September 8, 2025, Burke performed at the Fillmore Minneapolis as part of his Withered Tour.[44][45] The same day, heavily decomposed human remains were discovered in Los Angeles inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke.[46][47][48] The discovery came after the LAPD was called by a tow yard worker to investigate a foul odor emanating from the Tesla.[44][49] The car was initially parked on Bluebird Avenue in Hollywood Hills, as early as August 2025. On September 3, the vehicle was cited for violating the 72-hour parking ordinance and impounded and towed to a Hollywood yard two days later.[50][51][52]
On September 16, 2025, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the body as that of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County.[53][54] Her body was found a day after her 15th birthday, and she is believed to have died a considerable amount of time before her body was discovered.[b][55] Sources close to the investigation told news outlets that they believe that Rivas may have died in the spring of 2025.[56][57] Rivas had been reported as missing three times in the last year of her life according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.[58] After the discovery, numerous photographs have been found showing Rivas and Burke together, showing they knew each other previously.[59]
The remains were found dismembered and were contained in a bag in the front trunk of the vehicle.[17][60] Additionally, body was reported to have been found partially frozen.[55] The LAPD confirmed that the vehicle was ticketed 11 days before the body was found, and strongly suggested she was deceased in the trunk for the entire period the car was abandoned.[50][61][62]
On September 18, 2025, investigators from the LAPD executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills property previously occupied by Burke.[63] During the search, evidence including a computer was seized.[64] Shortly after the search, Burke's manager, Josh Marshall, terminated the lease on the property, and Burke moved out.[65] Burke has retained criminal defense attorney Blair Berk as the investigation continued.[66]
A vigil for Rivas was held in Lake Elsinore,[44][53] and her body was released to her family for memorial services.[67] On October 6, 2025, Rivas was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary in Rowland Heights, California, following a private funeral service.[55]
Identification of cause of death has proven to be difficult, given the advanced state of decomposition that the body was in.[68] Initially, LAPD Robbery-Homicide Capt. Scot Williams stated there was no suspect in Rivas' death, citing the undetermined cause of death and uncertainty about criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.[69] However, the case is being treated as a potential homicide.[56][57] Investigators also believe there may have been more than one person involved, and that another individual helped in dismembering and disposing of Rivas' body.[57][70] Additionally, investigators are reportedly focusing on an overnight trip Burke may have made to Santa Barbara County in spring 2025 to a remote area which they believe is related to this case.[55]
As of November 2025, no charges have been filed, and the investigation remains ongoing.[56] Autopsy results to determine the cause of Rivas' death, which was deemed "deferred," are still pending.[71][72]
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Discography
Studio albums
- Withered (2025)
Tours
Headlining
- Petals to Thorns Tour (2023)
- My House Is Not a Home Tour (2024)
- Withered World Tour (2025)
Supporting
Awards and nominations
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Notes
References
External links
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