The deluxe edition of D4vd’s debut album, Withered, was not released as planned, and his upcoming canceled, amid an ongoing investigation into the decomposing body of a missing teenager found in a Tesla registered to the singer.
The expanded album, Withered: Marcescence, was set to arrive today, but it has not appeared on Spotify or other streaming services. TMZ was the first to report that D4vd’s label Interscope (a subsidiary of Universal Music Group) had suspended the album’s release and paused all promotional activities related to the singer.
Reps for D4vd, as well as his label, Interscope, did not immediately return requests for comment.
As for his ongoing Withered tour, the last two shows on D4vd’s North American run were canceled. The streamer turned singer was set to perform tonight in San Francisco and Saturday in Los Angeles. A planned event at the Grammy Museum scheduled for Sept. 24 was also scrapped, as have the dates on D4vd’s European run, which was scheduled to begin in October.
Withered was originally released in April, garnering positive reviews and peaking at Number 13 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. In August, D4vd — whose real name is David Anthony Burke — announced Withered: Marcescence. Per a track list he shared on Instagram last week (on Sept. 7, one day before the body was found), the deluxe edition was set to feature 15 new songs, with features from Hannah Bahng, Malcolm Todd, RealestK, Keshi, and Julia Wolf.
“Every song written exclusively by me on my phone baby,” D4vd wrote. “This is a passion project i put together to make sure i didn’t lose the raw emotional weight my music carries and how much it means to u all. Thank you to all the friends who collaborated with me on this everyone ATE THEIR VERSES UP.”
According to a previously released statement, Burke has been “cooperating” with authorities during their investigation. He has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest, nor has he been accused of any crimes.
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The body was discovered in the Tesla trunk after police were called to a tow yard in Hollywood to investigate reports of a foul smell coming from the car. It took a week for medical examiners to identify the victim as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who had been missing for over a year. Burke was on tour when Rivas’ body was discovered, and he continued to play shows before canceling Wednesday’s concert in Seattle.
While authorities haven’t identified a suspect or person of interest yet, several details about the investigation have come out. For instance, the impounded Tesla was towed from the affluent Bird Streets neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills, with neighbors telling Rolling Stone that it had been spotted in various places around the neighborhood. It was ultimately towed from a spot on Bluebird Avenue, where neighborhood sources said it had been sitting for at least three weeks.
After Rivas was identified, law enforcement searched a house on Doheny Place, around the block from where the car was towed. Police left with several items, including a computer. The home’s owner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the residence had been rented to Burke’s manager, Josh Marshall, last year, starting in February 2024.
Rivas’ identification set off a wave of speculation and rumors, too, especially over her alleged ties to Burke. For instance, when Rivas’ body was found, investigators noted a distinct “Shh…” tattoo on one of her fingers; TMZ later surfaced a photo of Burke that appeared to show a similar “Shh…” tattoo on his finger. An allegedly leaked and unreleased D4vd song has also started floating around the web, called “Celeste.”
From Rolling Stone US
