d4vd’s path to music has been anything but ordinary. Before the young creative set his sights on music, he was passionate about gaming–so much so that he dreamt of being a professional gamer one day. And funnily enough, it was while playing Fortnite with his friends that he honed his music taste and aesthetic. With each gameplay montage he watched, he discovered new music, specifically indie artists–tracks by The Neighborhood, Arctic Monkeys, and Wallows. He used this new musical canon to make his own Fortnite gameplay videos. But when his montages were taken down for copyright infringement, he made his own tracks to back them. And just like that, an unlikely star was born. 

“The first song I made was “Run Away,” a super slow song where I was just trying to figure out my sound,” d4vd shares with VMAN. “And then I made “You and I,” which is the first song I ever put in a montage. It was just for the montage, I didn’t expect much. But then, people started using it in their montages and I was like, ‘Okay, this could be something,’ so I kept making songs.”

And while d4vd may only be 17, don’t let his age fool you. The musician is mature beyond his years (both in the personal and artistic sense). He has a unique ability to make the most inexpressible emotions palpable. Intense emotions regarding heartbreak and loss are easily digestible with his soothing vocals and intricate beats. It is this (and the effortless coolness certainly doesn’t hurt) that makes him one of this generation’s most exciting artists to watch. And you don’t have to take our word for it–recently, his breakthrough track “Romantic Homicide” surpassed 75 million streams and gained a coveted spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s definitely one thing to chart on the Hot 100 when you’re still in high school, but it’s a whole other thing when you consider the song was made on an iPhone in his sister’s closet. 

“I have a weird connection to the studio,” he laughs. “I’ve made some ok songs. I’ve been in the studio three or four times, but with my brain, it doesn’t click. I overthink the process too much because there’s so much technicality to it.”

This month, d4vd returns with a music video for his love-soaked track, “Here With Me.” The music video, directed by Arman Mitchell, depicts a beautiful love story where each person can rely on the other to always be there. The music video takes inspiration from one of d4vd’s favorite movies, Up–specifically the montage scene between Ellie and Carl. And while the music video starts out sweet, like the beginning of the Pixar movie, it slowly progresses into d4vd’s classic aesthetic.

“I’m trying to build a whole world with my songs,” he elaborates. “Because this song is so different from “Romantic Homicide,” I tried to figure out how to keep it in the same universe. So the video gradually gets darker.”

And while the recent success signals d4vd’s upward trajectory, it also potentially indicates a larger industry shift–moving towards more toned-down production and candid lyrics. And who better to usher in a grander movement than a teenager who knows a thing or two about disrupting?

Before his whirlwind of a year wraps, VMAN sits down with the rising star. For more on his creative process, relationship with TikTok, and favorite movies, read below. 

VMAN: Thanks for sitting down with us, David. How has NYC been so far? What have you been up to?

D4VD: It’s been good. Yesterday, I actually went thrift shopping and got some new clothes. 

VMAN: That’s so exciting. New York has, arguably, the best thrifting so you have to take advantage of it while you’re here. So to kick it all off, can you share with us how you first got into music? 

D: I was on track to becoming a professional Fortnite player. But the thing is, I was using copyrighted music like mainstream rap, indie rap, so I was getting copyright strikes. All my videos were getting striked and at the time, I was trying to save up to get a new computer. I wasn’t getting any money from my videos because they were getting striked so I remember telling my mom about this and she was like, ‘Why don’t you make your own songs?’. And I was like, ‘Ok.’ So the next day, I searched for how to make music on an iPhone, and BandLab came up. So I started playing around with that and recorded my first song in my sister’s closet. She’s the only one in the house with a walk-in closet. I didn’t actually look at any YouTube tutorials for some reason because it’s so easy to use. The first song I made was “Run Away,” a super slow song where I was just trying to figure out my sound. And then I made “You and I,” which is the first song I ever put in a montage. It was just for the montage. I didn’t expect much. But then, people started using it in their montages and I was like, ‘Okay, this could be something,’ so I kept making songs. I was putting them consistently in montages about once or twice a week. And then I ended up making “Bleed Out,” which is my most successful Fortnite song. Then I made my first R&B song–”NEVER AGAIN.” It was a major success and got 20,000 plays on SoundCloud in about three days, which is more than I ever got in months from the indie songs.

So I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I can permanently switch to R&B.’ But then after I released that I lost the motivation for it. So I started experimenting with other things. I ended up hearing Beyoncé’s “Blue” song and did a cover of that. I think I sped it up a little too much, and it sounded funny. So my account became a gimmick account for a long time, and that first video got so much hate. I think a normal teenager would have been like, ‘Okay, I’m never doing that again.’ But I did it ten more times. And then with “Romantic Homicide,” I was sitting on that for a while. And once I released, it got over 500,000 views overnight. It’s crazy to think about. But now we’re here. 

VMAN: Now you’re here. And why did you use your phone to record “Romantic Homicide”? Why not a laptop or something? 

D: I didn’t have anything else. I had the PC that I was gaming on, but the only mic I had was the headset mic–which was bad. So I had no other resources besides my phone, so I was like, ‘What can I do with what I have?’

VMAN: Wow, that’s amazing. And to think a self-produced song recorded on your iPhone made it to the Billboard Hot 100–that’s crazy to think about.

D: So crazy. 

VMAN: And what artists are you listening to right now? 

D: Right now, I’m listening to a lot of Dora Jar, Matilda Mann, Wallows, The Backseat Lovers, Slowpoke, Matt Maltese, and PinkPantheress.  

VMAN: What a great lineup. And when you were growing up, what music played around the house? 

D: Until I was 13, it was strictly gospel. I discovered other music in middle school. I think someone was blasting “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump and immediately was like, ‘Yo, what’s that?’ And from there, I started listening to everything on my school laptop. I found X and Members Only. And then I heard my first indie song from a Fortnite montage. Up to that point, it was just pop and rap. I remember I heard “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood, and that’s when I really got into SoundCloud and indie music. 

VMAN: I feel like it’s so unique that you discovered music through gaming. Normally, I would assume it’s the other way around. 

D: Yeah. Because I originally wanted to be a professional gamer, so that was my world. 

VMAN: That makes sense. And as you found early success on TikTok, curious about your relationship with social media now?

D: I used to be super superstitious. Like, I never wanted to be on the app more than I posted. Because when I posted, I would have an influx of usage on the app. But now that I have momentum going on, I have to interact more frequently on the app–answer DMs and comments. But I feel like social media is good for me in a way if I use it properly. I don’t want to over-saturate my community with an influx of videos. 

VMAN: Yeah, you’re intentional about it. 

D: Exactly. If the song is good, it will speak for itself. So with “Romantic Homicide,” I posted a snippet and then posted again that the song was out. It was two videos.

VMAN: And with those two videos, it blew up. And to transition a bit to your visuals–your music video for “Here With Me” just dropped. Can you take us through your creative direction for that video? 

D: Essentially, I’m trying to build a whole world with my songs. Because this song is so different from “Romantic Homicide,” I tried to figure out how to keep it in the same universe. So the video gradually gets darker. But at the same time, I wanted fans to have a different experience than what they were just getting with Spotify and Apple Music. I wanted to build on my artistry with something to provide them visually. 

VMAN: Yeah, for sure. And what inspirations would you say you pulled for the video? 

D: I tried to make it like the Up sequence, like the love montage. 

VMAN: That’s so cute. Do you watch a lot of movies? 

D: Oh yeah, I love movies. Right now, I’m watching Donnie Darko, 500 Days of Summer, and Interstellar–I love Christopher Nolan’s stuff. I like to take inspiration from his cinematography. 

VMAN: Yeah, his stuff is great. What’s next for you? What are your upcoming plans? 

D: New music, for sure. I also want to tour. I want to put my sister’s closet on the stage. 

VMAN: Yes, I would love to see that. I don’t know if you saw, but The 1975 put a house on their tour. I think it’s cool, it adds this theatrical element. 

D: Exactly. I want to do something like that. 

VMAN: So do you think for the new music, you’ll continue recording in your sister’s closet? 

D: I think I will. I have a weird connection to the studio. I’ve made some ok songs. I’ve been in the studio three or four times, but with my brain, it doesn’t click. Maybe it’ll grow on me, and maybe I’ll get better at it. But right now, I overthink the process too much because there’s so much technicality to it. 

VMAN: Yeah, that makes sense. Do you think you’ll fold more people into the creative mix? 

D: Definitely. I see myself working with a full-on orchestra. I’ve got some unreleased stuff with an orchestra that I can’t wait for people to hear. 

VMAN: Why an orchestra? 

D: I was in middle school band and the orchestra kids were like our rivals. Both of us were trying to get more tickets to our concerts. But yeah, I played the flute. And I was good at it. I was the first chair. 

VMAN: That’s impressive. And last question, David. What are some of your long-term goals? 

D: I don’t know. I’m a terrible goal-setter. I like to just let things happen. I’m still working, but it’s like I’m working towards something more open than just a set goal. I’m working in the direction of what I want.