D4vd

David Anthony Burke (born March 28, 2005), known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New York City and raised in Houston, Texas, Burke began composing music in 2021 for his Fortnite gameplay montages. He first achieved commercial success with his 2022 singles "Romantic Homicide" and "Here with Me", both of which earned multiple platinum certifications. In 2023, he released the EPs Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals; the former charted in six territories. In 2025, he released his debut studio album, Withered, which peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard 200.

In September 2025, the dismembered body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered inside a vehicle registered to Burke. Following the identification, his ongoing tour and a planned deluxe reissue of Withered were cancelled. He was arrested on April 16, 2026, on suspicion of murdering Rivas, and is being held without bail. On April 20, Burke was charged with first-degree murder of Rivas with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body. That same day, he pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

David Anthony Burke was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City, the son of Dawud Burke. His family later moved to Houston, Texas. After seventh grade, he was homeschooled. Until he was 13, he solely listened to gospel music. As a child, he played the piano and sang in a church choir. He is a Christian, stating in an interview with Astrophe Magazine, "I get my personal power from God for sure. I am a heavy believer in the Christian faith."

Burke began his music career by uploading Fortnite gaming montages. To avoid copyright issues, he started creating original music, blending lo-fi pop, R&B, and indie rock. He released his music to SoundCloud, including songs such as "You and I", "Take Me to the Sun", and "Runaway". He chose the stage name "d4vd" partially to increase his search engine optimization. He released the single "Romantic Homicide" on July 20, 2022, following TikTok snippets of it going viral.

"Romantic Homicide" charted at No. 3 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart and appeared at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking his first entry on the chart. The music video, inspired by film noir, was nominated for Music Video (Independent) during the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards. After observing others reuse his music, he decided to keep making songs.

The song's success prompted Darkroom and Interscope Records to sign Burke in September 2022. First released on SoundCloud before "Romantic Homicide", Burke's next single, "Here with Me", was released to streaming platforms in September 2022. The song entered multiple charts after gaining traction on TikTok, most notably at No. 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top ten in Singapore. Most of these songs were produced using a freemium DAW called BandLab.

Burke released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns, on May 26, 2023, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. His second EP, The Lost Petals, was released on September 8 as an extension of the former. "Here with Me", released in 2022, reached the top 40 in 2023.

In July 2023, he was featured on "Superbloodmoon", a single from Holly Humberstone's debut album. Also in that year, Burke performed as an opening act for part of SZA's SOS Tour.

On February 9, 2024, Burke released the two-pack single "Withering", which includes the tracks "Leave Her" and "2016". The release was characterized in music media as a double single, following the artist's established style. In March, Burke released the single "Feel It" for the soundtrack of Amazon Prime Video's television series Invincible. On December 19, 2024, he released the single "Where'd It Go Wrong?". He also performed "Remember Me", featured on the soundtrack for the second season of the steampunk action-adventure television series Arcane.

On February 7, 2025, he released the single "One More Dance". On February 28, he released the single "Crashing" with Kali Uchis, followed by "What Are You Waiting For" on March 28. He held an album showcase for his debut studio album, Withered, at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines. During his Coachella debut, he face-planted while attempting a backflip. By November 2025, Burke had accumulated 3.6 million TikTok followers.

Burke also featured on the song "Summer Uptown" with Jasontheween, with the song being released on July 9, 2025.

The Withered tour began in August 2025. However, the tour and all public appearances were suspended on September 19, following the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and suspicions around Burke's involvement in her death. The deluxe edition of Withered, subtitled Marcescence, was also shelved. Interscope Records suspended all Burke-related promotions, and Crocs and Hollister Co. also removed him from a promotional campaign.

In the following days, the tour's European and Australian shows and Burke's planned performance at Spilt Milk in December were canceled. Kali Uchis sought removal of their collaboration song "Crashing" from streaming platforms. During the investigation, Burke's music streams on Spotify doubled from the previous week. In 2025, Burke became the top-searched musician and overall person on Google.

Homeschooled as a teen, Burke described living "vicariously" through the experiences of his online friends, often referencing unfamiliar experiences in his music. In an interview with Japanese YouTuber Takashii, while he was in Japan for the annual festival Fuji Rock, he stated that anime is "one of my biggest influences", including series such as Dragon Ball Z. He has named SZA as a big influence on his work. He said that touring with her and building real-world connections allowed him to infuse more personal, "evolved" maturity into his work. Burke's singing voice has been described as a soft tenor with a vibrating falsetto.

On September 8, 2025, Burke performed at the Fillmore Minneapolis as part of his Withered Tour. The same day, heavily decomposed human remains were discovered in Los Angeles inside the front trunk of an impounded car registered to Burke. The discovery came after the LAPD was called by a tow yard worker to investigate a foul odor emanating from the vehicle.

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. Her body was discovered one day after what would have been her 15th birthday. Two days later, LAPD investigators executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills property previously occupied by Burke. Electronic materials, including a computer, were seized, and shortly afterward, Burke's manager terminated the lease on the property, and Burke moved out. Burke has retained a criminal defense attorney known for representing celebrities. Court documents unsealed in February 2026 revealed that Burke was the "target" of a Los Angeles grand jury investigation into the death.

Mugshot of Burke taken after his arrest

On April 16, 2026, Burke was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department at a house on Marmont Avenue on suspicion of the murder of Rivas. He is being held without bail pending a court appearance. Burke's lawyer denied the charges, claiming "Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death."

On April 20, the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney's Office announced that Burke would be charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, and mutilation of a body. Prosecutor Hochman stated the case includes special circumstances of lying in wait and financial gain, alleging Burke killed Rivas to protect his music career. He is also accused of murdering a witness, with evidence expected to show the victim was involved in an investigation into alleged sexual acts committed by Burke while she was under 14. Prosecutors indicated they will seek the death penalty. Burke appeared in court that same day, and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Studio albums

• Withered (2025)

• Petals to Thorns Tour (2023)

• My House Is Not a Home Tour (2024)

• Withered World Tour (2025)

• SZA – SOS Tour (2023)

• D4vd at AllMusic
• Official website
• Zebua, Gifford; Silalahi, Charles; Latupeirissa, Kezia (February 25, 2025). "Analysis of Deixis in D4vd Song Lyrics Entitled Here With Me". Journal of Comprehensive Science. 4 (2): 935–942. doi:10.59188/jcs.v4i2.3020. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025.