Songfacts®:

• Avid Fortnite player David Burke started writing songs in 2021 to accompany his montage videos of his own gameplay. He recorded them on his phone and released them under the name d4vd (pronounced "David"). The Houston native's gloomy, emotive sound took over streaming platforms and earned him a contract with Darkroom, the label that's home to Billie Eilish. "Romantic Homicide" is his first charting hit.
• "Romantic Homicide" is about the death of a relationship. When Burke's ex broke up with him, it felt like she'd died. His former girlfriend had become a new person to him - someone who didn't care for him anymore.
  
  In the back of my mind
  You died
  And I didn't even cry
  No, not a single tear
  
  Burke mourns the end of their romantic relationship, but rather than shedding tears, he creates an emotional distance from her. Burke does this by manifesting a hatred for his ex in his heart.
  
  In the back of my mind
  I killed you
  And I didn't even regret it
  I can't believe I said it
  But it's true
  I hate you
• Released on July 20, 2022, "Romantic Homicide" went viral on TikTok before entering the Hot 100 for the first time on the September 17, 2022 listing.
• The moody Tommy Kiljoy-directed video takes the lyrics literally as d4vd performs the song in the pouring rain.
• I'm scared, it feels like you don't care
  Enlighten me, my dear
  Why am I still here, oh?
  
  Determined to express his feelings post-breakup, d4vd worked on "Romantic Homicide" for a long time but couldn't come up with anything satisfactory. The breakthrough came one day while he sat in his bedroom closet. "I literally just said, 'I'm scared,'" d4vd told Billboard, referencing the song's opening line. "All the words spiraled out subconsciously. I was like, 'Yo, I got to write this down.' Emotions were everywhere."
• The success of "Romantic Homicide" earned d4vd a record deal with Darkroom/Interscope Records in August 2022.
• Following the discovery of the decomposed body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas in an impounded Tesla registered to d4vd, fans tried to draw connections between this song and the tragic event. However, "Romantic Homicide" was released in July 2022, long before Celeste Rivas disappeared in April 2024.