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.
Born in New York City, 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 September 2025, the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered inside a car registered in Burke's name.[2] After the remains were identified, the remaining tour dates and the release of the deluxe version of Withered were canceled.[3][4] A cause of death has not been determined and the case is being investigated as a potential homicide.
Early life
David Anthony Burke was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City,[5] his family later moved to Houston, Texas.[6] After seventh grade, he was homeschooled.[7][8] Until he was 13, he exclusively listened to gospel music. He played piano and sung in a church choir in his childhood.[7][9]
Burke later discovered the indie music genre through a Fortnite montage.[10] In 2021, Burke uploaded his own Fortnite montages, resulting in the beginning of his career in music.[11] Burke described feeling somewhat isolated as a teenager, living "vicariously" by the experiences of his internet friends.[12][13] Due to being homeschooled, he frequently made references to circumstances in his music that he had not yet encountered.[7]
Career
2021–2022: Early career and rise to prominence
Burke's music career started when he uploaded gaming montages of the video game Fortnite.[5][7] To avoid receiving copyright strikes, he created his own music.[14][15] Burke's music is known for mixing lo-fi pop, R&B, and indie rock.[16] He released his music to SoundCloud, including songs such as "You and I",[17] "Take Me to the Sun",[17] and "Runaway".[18] He chose the stage name "d4vd" in part because of a desire to increase his search engine optimization.[19] He released the single "Romantic Homicide" on July 20, 2022, following TikTok snippets of it becoming viral.[7][20]
"Romantic Homicide" charted at No. 3 on the Hot Alternative Songs charts and appeared at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[15] marking his first entry on the chart.[14][21] The music video, which was inspired by film noir,[22] was nominated for Music Video (Independent) during the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[23] 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."[9]
The song's success led to Burke being contacted by Darkroom and Interscope Records,[24] and signing with the label in September 2022.[20][25] First released on SoundCloud before "Romantic Homicide", Burke's next single, "Here with Me", was released to streaming platforms in September 2022.[17] The song entered multiple charts following its use on TikTok,[7] 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.[26]
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.[43] The concerts slated for September 19 and 20 were canceled amid the identification of human remains found in a Tesla registered to Burke.[3][44] 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.[3][45]
In the following days, the tour's European and Australian shows, and Burke's planned performance at Spilt Milk in December, were canceled.[46][47] Kali Uchis stated that she was trying to get their song "Crashing" removed from streaming services following the incident.[37] During the investigation, Burke's music streams on Spotify doubled from the previous week.[48] In 2025, Burke became the top searched for musician on Google and among the top 5 trending people in total.[49]
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",[11][15] including series such as Dragon Ball Z,[15]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.[50]
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."[51]
On September 8, 2025, Burke performed at the Fillmore Minneapolis as part of his Withered Tour.[52][53] The same day, heavily decomposed human remains were discovered in Los Angeles inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke.[54][55][56] The discovery came after the LAPD was called by a tow yard worker to investigate a foul odor emanating from the Tesla.[52][57]
On September 16, 2025, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the body as that of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County.[58][59] Her body was found a day after her 15th birthday, and she is believed to have died a considerable time before her body was discovered.[60] On September 18, 2025, LAPD investigators executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills property previously occupied by Burke.[61] Electronic materials including a computer were seized,[62] and shortly afterwards Burke's manager terminated the lease on the property, and Burke moved out.[63] Burke has retained a criminal defense attorney known for representing celebrities.[64] As of January 2026, no charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.[65]
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