D4vd’s Romantic Homicide Returns to Charts as Police Probe Teen’s Death
Investigation into the death of a 13-year-old in Lake Elsinore prompts renewed scrutiny of the rapper and his music.
D4vd’s 2022 single Romantic Homicide has re-entered the Billboard 200 amid an ongoing police investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 13-year-old girl who vanished from Lake Elsinore, California, in April of last year. Investigators say a decomposed body was found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to the artist after the car was impounded. The performer, whose real name is often cited as David Anthony Burke, has been questioned by police in connection with the case, though no charges have been filed as of Friday.
Romantic Homicide has surged on streaming platforms since the public attention to the case intensified. On Sunday, the track logged more than 12 million streams in the United States, as fans highlighted its lyrics and narrative that some listeners found unsettling. On Spotify the song climbed to No. 8 on Monday, with strong showings on YouTube and Apple Music. The music video for the track features a dark-haired female who bore a striking resemblance to Hernandez, a detail that has drawn particular note from online audiences.
In March, D4vd discussed the meaning behind Romantic Homicide in an interview, saying the song centers on two personas: Itami, his murdering alter ego whose name is Japanese for pain, and a detective who tracks Itami. He compared the setup to Fight Club, noting the duality expressed in the track’s concept.
Beyond Romantic Homicide, D4vd’s catalog has continued to perform well. Feel It sits in the upper tiers on Spotify, while Here With Me also ranks on the platform’s chart, underscoring continued audience interest in the artist’s work even as legal questions loom.
Internet sleuths unearthed a December 2023 track titled Celeste_Demo unfin that appears to reference the missing teenager. The lyrics include lines such as: "Oh, Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / Smell her on my clothes like cigarettes / I hear her voice each time I take a breath / I'm obsessed." A later verse adds: "Oh, Celeste / Afraid you'll only love me when undressed / But you look so damn gorgeous in that dress / Missing you so much makes me depressed / But I digress, because." The posts have sparked discussion about whether the material is autobiographical or fictional, though it remains unclear how these lines connect to Hernandez’s case.
A photo from June shows D4vd with Hernandez at a venue, fueling public fascination with their reported relationship. In the weeks that followed, police raided the artist’s Hollywood Hills home, taking multiple bags of evidence and a computer as part of the investigation. D4vd subsequently canceled the remainder of his U.S. tour, including two shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and he will not attend a planned Grammy Museum event in Los Angeles. A separate note from his team indicated no replacement dates had been announced, though he remains scheduled to perform in Norway on October 1. The music label also paused a deluxe version of his album Withered and other promotional activities.
As of Friday, no formal charges have been filed related to the investigation. Authorities have not publicly linked Romantic Homicide’s revival on the charts to the case beyond noting the artist’s involvement is under review. The case remains under active investigation, and additional updates are expected as prosecutors and investigators proceed with their inquiries.