What does it take to become the next big thing in music? For d4vd, all it took was his sister’s closet, Apple earphones and the drive to shrug off youtube’s copyright claims—a strange combo.
Despite making music for only a little over a year, d4vd has dominated TikTok and has taken over the charts twice with hit songs “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me.”
Genre Bending Talent
d4vd is a multi-genre artist who can cover genres from trap to alt-rock; he takes inspiration from different genres to create his own style. The primary focus of his music puts a creative spin on an alternative rock and R&B style.
His music varies in tempo but is almost always able to induce similar melancholic feelings of love and heartbreak. d4vd’s music is recognizable for its impactful and almost poetic lyrics, strong effects and reliance on beachy electric guitar sounds and orchestral arrangements.
From Fortnite Montages to Billboard Charts
d4vd, born David Anthony Burke, grew up in a Christian household; homeschooled at 13, he would divert his attention towards a professional gaming career.
Being raised in a Christain household, David would listen to only Gospel music. Until age 15, he believed secular music could only be rap, thus opting out. His first taste of secular music would be Gucci Gang by Lil Pump, and his interests in secular music would eventually branch off toward lyrical artists like XXXTentacion. Eventually, leading him to songs relying on orchestral arrangements like The Neighbourhood, Clairo, and Cuco.
The introduction to new music was not the start of his music career but a presentation of what music offers. In an interview with Pilerates, David recalls the experience as “opening up a whole new world of sounds…it was an eye-opening experience.”
David did not instantly set out to be an artist; neither was it ever really his intention. His professional career began in the hit video game Fortnite.
Under the alias Ant/Antonio, David would upload Fortnite montages and clips, amassing 50,000 subscribers on his gaming channel. He would become a prominent member of the Twitter Fortnite community, notorious for his quick builds and editing skills. However, he often voiced his annoyance and demotivation with the game, even contemplating quitting altogether.
David noticed that his Fortnite montages posted to his youtube channel were receiving copyright strikes for using copyrighted songs. Game montages were a vital part of David’s content, and relied on music for entertainment and to sync up gameplay. He would take this problem to his mother, who suggested making his own music to avoid copyrights.
This would be the first we would see of d4vd.
d4vd Uses BandLab and Sings in His Sister’s Closet
David began making music using the free app, BandLab and simply singing in his sister’s closet to instrumentals he liked. In December 2021, David would create a new Twitter account to promote releases like the song “Run Away” and “You and I,” using “You and I” for a Fortnite montage. The main purpose of his music was still to be used in his Fortnite montages, claiming he didn’t take his music seriously.
When he started using TikTok to promote his music, posting screen recordings of his song on BandLab, he started gaining attention. In early July 2022, David posted a snippet of the song “Romantic Homicide,” receiving positive responses from his followers. Within hours of its official release, “Romantic Homicide” would start charting on the Billboard hot 100, reach a peak at no. 77. That summer a new popstar was born.
@d4vdd (this is not a cover) #fyp #trending #original #viral #sound #blowthisup #alvinandthechipmunks
♬ Romantic Homicide – d4vd
How d4vd Writes Poetic and Realistic Stories
d4vd is often revered for his storytelling ability and impactful lyrics, often discussing serious topics of love, heartbreak and meaning. His songwriting ability is accredited to his personal writing journey, having written poetry and lyrics throughout his youth. To compensate for a lack of life experience, d4vd would reference manga, anime, and books to support the narratives and characters in his music.
@rollingstone @d4vd says #manga and #attackontitan influenced his music #d4vd #d4vdd #d4vdedit #attackontitan #attackontitanseason4 #attackontitanedit #attackontitanfinalseason #attackontitancosplay #d4vdcover #d4vdspedup #d4vd #anime #animeedit #animetiktok #animefyp #fyp #fypシ #foryou
♬ original sound – Rolling Stone
Last Monday, d4vd took to Twitter to announce his debut EP “Petals To Thorns,” to be released on May 26. After signing with Interscope Records in the previous winter season, d4vd’s career can only improve with this newfound support.
Pingback: d4vd Debut EP, "Petals to Thorns," Features Love and Heartbreak - Spider Lily Music