D4vd, a singer and veritable social media star, is making headlines in connection with a decomposing body discovered in the trunk of a Tesla. The gruesome discovery linked back to the performer, real name David Anthony Burke, due to the car being registered in his name. The vehicle was impounded at a tow lot in Hollywood, and the remains were discovered when a foul odor coming from the trunk was reported to the LAPD.
The 20-year-old is not currently being seen as a person of interest in the case, but it has drawn attention to him and his career more so over the past 24 hours. D4vd is also set to perform in Minneapolis later today as part of his ongoing 2025 tour Withered, and will return to Los Angeles for a concert on September 20.
© Getty ImagesHere's all you need to know, in case you were wondering, about who the singer is, what brought him fame, and more on the ongoing situation…
Meet D4vd
D4vd was born in Queens, New York City, but was raised primarily in Houston, Texas. He primarily grew up listening to gospel music, but discovered hip-hop and indie through online gaming, specifically Fortnite, developing a love in particular for artists like XXXTentacion and Members Only. It also sparked his interest in the world of YouTube.
© InstagramIn 2021, D4vd began his professional career when he began uploading Fortnite montages to YouTube, and his mom recommended he make his own music to avoid copyright strikes. While his songs were uploaded to SoundCloud at first, he started receiving some viral notoriety on TikTok by 2022, specifically with the song "Romantic Homicide."
The song was released independently through DistroKid and became a worldwide commercial success, reaching the top 40 in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It was particularly successful in the Rock and Alternative space, becoming a top five hit in his native United States. The song's success led to him being signed by Darkroom and Interscope Records.
© Getty ImagesContinued success
His fame continued on TikTok and the charts with the release of his first two EPs in 2023, Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals. He embarked on his first tour, the Petals to Thorns Tour, that same year, and was tapped as the opening act for SZA's SOS Tour in 2023 as well. He also released songs for the soundtrack for the Prime Video series Invincible and Arcane.
© Getty ImagesD4vd's debut studio album, Withered, was finally released this April and became a top 20 Billboard 200 hit, as well as reaching the top three of Billboard's alternative albums chart. Earlier this year, he also partnered with Fortnite to release their official anthem. His songs have hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify, with "Romantic Homicide" alone boasting over 1.6 billion.
What happened to his car?
© Getty ImagesSo far, there is no information available through the LAPD of the identity of the person discovered in the Tesla's front trunk. The remains were found in a bag, with the car reportedly at the lot for two days, after it had been found abandoned in Hollywood for a week. Per Eyewitness News, the 2023 Tesla is registered in Hempstead, Texas to David Anthony Burke. The singer has not yet spoken on the matter himself.
