Sept. 8, 2025, may be known as the downfall of the career of hit singer David Anthony Burke, better known as D4vd, after a dead body was found in a car registered in his name. Previously, the singer had risen to fame with his breakout song “Romantic Homicide,” along with others such as “Here With Me,”  back in 2022. Along with this, the singer has been wildly renowned for his method of creating his songs, being on a simple mobile app called Bandlab, eventually leading to him being nominated for awards such as the Kids’ Choice Awards in 2025 and multiple BMI Pop Awards in 2024. On top of this, he has been featured in other forms of media, making arguably his best and most popular song, “Feel It,” which was made and featured on an episode of the hit Amazon Prime TV animated show Invincible. 

However, as much as one can praise his accomplishments with so little resources, all the evidence points to him being a ‘devil with an angel’s voice.’ At first, it almost seemed unlikely, as if someone had set him up; not only because Burke had been on tour since about early July, but the registered car had been in a location away from his home. For a while, it looked like he would not be criminally liable, that was until the previously anonymous body was identified. The victim was 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, and the discovery caused shock amongst many, as Rivas had been missing for a little over a year, and the body was decomposing by the time it was found. 

One may ask, “why does this matter?” Rivas had had a connection with Burke for years up to this point, having matching “Shhh…” tattoos on each of their right index fingers. Additionally, Rivas’ mother had stated that the last person she dated had been named David. With this information coming out, there has been speculation that  Burke hid his relationship with Rivas, even going so far as to pay people off to conceal the relationship. However, only time will tell if these rumors are really true. Evidence implies that they had a romantic relationship, and now, the singer is not only implicated in homicide, but grooming a minor as well..

To add insult to injury, an unreleased love song titled “Celeste” has been leaked. Burke’s songs are key components in the mounting case against him, as his songs are primarily romantic in nature. For example, “Romantic Homicide” is about a dying relationship, feeling neglected, internal conflicts, and how those emotions eventually lead to the death of said relationship. That being said, could this possibly be hints left by Burke, providing secret insight into his future actions? 

However, there are some major counterpoints to this whole situation; for example, the tattoo is a popular one, having been seen on other celebrities such as Rihanna and Lily Allen, which does not make the tattoo definitive evidence. Additionally, pictures are coming out that show Burke with a girl that looks like Celeste; however, it is not officially confirmed that it is her. There is also still the possibility that someone may be framing him, while very slim, no one would know at this moment in time. Originally, him being on tour was considered exonerating, but that is moot now, due to Rivas having been missing for over a year. At this moment in time, it does not look good for the artist, as he has already canceled concert dates and postponed his current tour. This situation begs the question of whether people look past the artist and still listen to his music, like many other artists, or will his actions leave such a disgusting taste in the mouths of others that the music is completely unlistenable.