David Anthony Burke, famously known as d4vd (pronounced David), is one of the most unique singer/songwriters in the music landscape. Born in Queens, New York, but raised in Houston, TX, the burgeoning star is only 18 years old but has an “old soul” with a maturity beyond his age. His music conveys the full range of emotions of the human experience with cinematic production and insightful songwriting.

Interestingly, d4vd’s entry into the music industry was an unlikely one. After making montage videos of Fortnite, he began creating his music to avoid copyright infringement as a long-standing esports organization Team Limit member.

Shortly after that, his hit song, “Romantic Homicide,” surpassed 75 million streams and landed him on the Billboard Top 40, peaking at number 33. Taking the DIY approach, he recorded the entire song from his iPhone in his sister’s closet. Eventually, the song went viral on TikTok and has been featured in more than 245,000 video clips.

Just this year, d4vd has released two stellar EPs, Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals, embodying his ethos of expressing his vulnerabilities and revealing his enormous potential as an artist to watch. 

In an interview with BET.com for Vol 36 of #Unboxed, d4vd spoke about how the world of gaming helped to shape his identity and how it inspired him to pursue music.

“The gaming scene has always been a super East Coast thing so Houston was someplace where I could win tournaments easily because there weren’t a lot of good players on that server,” d4vd said. “But music-wise, growing up in my household it was mainly jazz and gospel up until I was in middle school. There I got a lot of my music tastes from kids blasting their music on the school bus.”

“Gaming gave me a sense of community because I was homeschooled right after seventh grade. Most gamers are into video games to escape reality so I was looking for friends more than trying to become a pro,” he continued. “Then I wanted to become a pro now after seeing all the money that can be made in eSports, and things like that.”

d4vd shared that he began “to subconsciously take notes to learn how to sync lyrics with certain beats in a video game” until a problem arose. His work began to get flagged for copyright strikes, which caused him to lose money. His mother noticed his skills and told him he should start creating his own music. This led him to find his voice as a musician.

 “Music is such a big part of video games. Some of the best soundtracks that I've ever listened to have come from video games, such as Uncharted Four, and The Last of Us,” d4vd said. “So I've always been a fan of the soundtracks and the composers behind the music of these games.” 

One of the key components of his artistic approach is Anime. A hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan, d4vd was introduced to Anime as a child and has incorporated it into his musical approach.

“My father introduced me to anime very early on. My first anime was Dragonball Z, and we had the full set so I binged it every night until I finished it,” d4vd said. “There was heavy rock presence in anime and I've always been a fan of rock and alternative genres. That's why the first song I put in the Fortnight montages was alternative indie-leaning." 

“The way that Japanese people use their melodies with their language is super interesting to me because it's like something you will never say in English, but it works for them in their language,” he went on.

Another big influence on d4vd’s music is SZA. He couldn't contain his excitement when he learned he would be opening for the Grammy Award-winning singer on her SOS Tour. He described it as a full-circle moment because SZA was the first artist he saw in person.

“The first time I met SZA was at this radio interview she was doing that I snuck into,” d4vd recalled. “She gave me a shout-out and cosigned me in the Billboard interview and then I was one of the prospective openers for her tour. It blew my mind when we got the call. And it was like we have to do with there's no way oh yeah, no, we can't pass this up. It kind of just lined up so perfectly.

After releasing two projects and charting singles on the Billboard 100, D4vd believes he’s just beginning to scratch the surface. While his fan base continues to expand, and his music has garnered critical acclaim, he’s a perfectionist. He explained how his creative process is evolving.

“When I was making music from home, there was an emotional connection that I had to express myself in such a new way and I got comfortable. Then I got introduced to the studio life and like having other people and producers,” d4vd said. “In 2022, I had nobody telling me what to do with my music and now there are so many different voices. I feel like people really resonated with the fact that my music sounded very old but new at the same time.”

Because of the enduring popularity of “Romantic Homicide,” which has become his signature song, d4vd made his late debut in November on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he performed the song and was still elated about the experience.

“That was insane. I used to watch these shows on YouTube all the time and it's real time,” d4vd recalled. “I didn't get to meet Jimmy, unfortunately. But I would love to in the future.”

Without question, d4vd's meteoric rise had happened at a rapid pace and 2023 was a banner year for d4vd. He has solidified himself as one of the most highly-regarded artists on the alternative scene. In 2024, he plans to take his artistry to another level.

“Next year, I will be in control of the quality of my music, the quality of my visuals, and the quality of the story that I'm trying to tell,” d4vd explained. “ Also, the ambition and my work ethic that goes behind it. I'm trying to control those five things because in 2024 I want to become an artist. I feel like I've been doing this for a year and a half now and I'm almost there. So in 2024, I will become an artist.”