TikTok is a great platform to discover new music and support and upcoming artists. One artist who blew up on TikTok is David Burke, professionally known as d4vd.
At just 19 years old, Burke has already made a name for himself in the music industry. But, he never thought it would be his career. As a teenager, Burke was more focused on video games and uploaded Fortnite montage videos on YouTube. After receiving multiple copyright strikes for his background music, his mother suggested he make his own music instead.
He recorded his music from his sister’s closet, using his iPhone, and released it on SoundCloud under the username d4vddd. He uploaded his first single, “Run Away,” in 2021, followed by “You and I” and “life’s a dream,” which he later uploaded to Spotify.
His music did not gain real traction until he released "Romantic Homicide" in July 2022, which went viral on TikTok. Many users posted videos about their breakups to the chorus: “In the back of my mind, you died / And I didn't even cry / No, not a single tear / And I'm sick of waiting patiently / For someone that won't even arrive.”
Until this point, Burke had kept his identity under wraps but posted himself performing the hit song on YouTube, revealing the person behind d4vd.
In an interview with Billboard, Burke discussed breaking anonymity as a Black artist.
“Before ‘Romantic Homicide,’ I [hadn’t] posted my face,” Burke said. “Then I released my live performance of it on YouTube, and people were like, ‘You’re Black?!’ [I’m] a gateway into that genre. It’s an absolute honor and a blessing.”
While some people were surprised by Burke’s race, others were shocked at his age. Many fans were amazed by his deeply emotional lyricism and songwriting abilities at such a young age.
Still being a teenager, Burke had never experienced the heartbreak he described in “Romantic Homicide.” Instead, he wanted to tell fictional stories through his songs.
In an interview with Genius, Burke broke down the song.
“I just go through instrumentals and let them tell me what needs to be said on them,” Burke said. “And then I write to contextualize the stories that I tell.”
“Romantic Homicide” peaked at No. 33 on theBillboardHot 100 and has since amassed over 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. He followed this success by releasing “Here With Me” in September 2022, which also gained massive popularity on TikTok.
In contrast to “Romantic Homicide,” “Here With Me” is a romantic ballad about being in love and growing old together. Burke said the song was inspired by Carl and Ellie Fredrickson’s relationship in the 2009 Disney film “Up.”
Many TikTok users posted sappy, romantic videos with their partners to the lyrics: “And if it's right / I don't care how long it takes / As long as I'm with you / I've got a smile on my face.”
Burke released his first EP “Petals to Thorns” May 26, 2023, which included both some unreleased songs, some new tracks and his big hits. However, the clear standout of the album is “This Is How It Feels (with Laufey).” The pair wrote the song from the perspectives of two people after a breakup: one still holds on to the relationship, while the other falls in love with someone else.
Burke and Laufey’s voices complement each other beautifully. From both a technical and songwriting standpoint, this song is unmatched.
“Sleep Well” and “WORTHLESS” are both solid tracks that showcase Burke’s impressive vocals and range. Burke effortlessly blends different genres in his EP, with some songs being melancholic, romantic ballads while others are more alternative rock.
From his humble beginnings making Fortnite videos, Burke’s success is a testament to his creativity and musical genius. Despite his age, Burke accurately captures these intense feelings of love, heartbreak and despair in his discography, proving his songwriting and storytelling expertise.
