If you are wondering when did Romantic Homicide come out, the short answer is July 20, 2022. d4vd released the song as a single on that date, and major music services including Apple Music list July 20, 2022, as its release date.
The date is misleading due to the staggered introduction of the song. The official single was released in July 2022, gained significant traction on TikTok later, was given an official video in September 2022, then was included on d4vd’s first EP Petals to Thorns released in May 2023. Explaining that chronological sequence resolves any confusion why many of us might remember “Romantic Homicide” to be released later. This explanation shows the song’s timeline, meaning and impact, its rise to stardom and the music video in relation to Petals to Thorns, and what the song meant for d4vd at the beginnings of his career.
The Exact Release Date of Romantic Homicide
“Romantic Homicide” was released on July 20, 2022.
Apple Music identifies the track as a 2022 single by d4vd and gives July 20, 2022, as its release date. Spotify also lists July 20, 2022, for the single.
It’s very short for what many call “alt/bedroom pop”. It clocks in a just over two minutes and sixteen seconds. Its short length, minimalist-produced sound, small vocal arrangement, and candid and relatable song structure all came together for it to establish it’s unique signature.
Written by d4vd ( David Anthony Burke ), who also produced it with Dan Darmawan .
This collaboration with Dan Darmawan is also noted by Apple Music credits for their contributions to the song. Thus, the answer if anyone was to ask: “What year was Romantic Homicide recorded” and you were asking of any particular, specific date would be: July 20, 2022 .
Why Some Sources Show a Different Romantic Homicide Date
One thing that should really be grasped as being very important in terms of a release date is that there may well be more than one release date to a song. A track may eventually be distributed or promoted by a major label, may get put on an EP or album or even in a music video as well as being originally released as a single, not to mention a live or acoustic version appearing at some point later and still relating to the same song.
That is why “Romantic Homicide” may be represented as having different dates depending on what database you look at. As a single it dated July 20, 2022, by Apple Music and Spotify, but the later release date is represented by Darkroom/Inter scope with the fact that it would later end up on the album Petals to Thorns in 2023, however a particular database may show this date later, only to differentiate a later pressing for instance, or that particular upload of it, making that version dated as latter, which stops from the problem occurring where that upload dateis stated as the overall release date.
A simple way to remember the timeline
| Event | Date |
| Original “Romantic Homicide” single | July 20, 2022 |
| Song begins gaining major viral attention | 2022 |
| Official music video released | September 2022 |
| Petals to Thorns released | May 26, 2023 |
| “Romantic Homicide (Live Version)” released | December 8, 2023 |
The key point is that July 20, 2022, is the original single release date.
How Romantic Homicide Became a Breakthrough Song
But knowing what year it came out is just one piece of the pie. Its significance is a mix of the release date and the aftermath. In 2022, when Romantic Homicide first dropped, d4vd was a new and undiscovered act.
He grew up listening to emo, as part of what he describes as the “Fortnite montage generation of online music-creating.
His previous material was originally intended for the soundtrack for games of that nature, as his career began on platforms like that. The track represented a progression to the alt-pop world we all know d4vd for today. Instead of becoming famous by landing heavy on radio rotation, he instead garnered recognition from the internet. Romantic Homicide went popular on TikTok in 2022, utilizing its emotional feel for various viral videos.
It introduced a slew of new eyes to what previously was a relatively new act.
Such a great modern music discovery example that we do not always need to enter through the main radio to succeed with a particular song! A song can enter through the small crowd and after that move through various fan-made content, popular playlist-ing and the traditional music charts. A 2022 Billboard feature recognized the track as an breakthrough for d4vd, noting that it marks his first entry to theBillboard Hot 100.
When Did the Romantic Homicide Music Video Come Out?
The official “Romantic Homicide” music video was released in September 2022. IMDb lists the U.S. release date as September 8, 2022.
That means the music video did not come out at the same time as the original single.
The distinction matters because someone searching for “when did Romantic Homicide come out” may actually be remembering the music video rather than the song itself.
The music video extended this music video narrative as well as. It embraces very darkly theatrical music videos which carry the same level of tension that the track itself carries with its somber, dramatic atmosphere. It also seems that Tommy Kiljoy directed the official music video according to its official youtube upload. This came out at a time of expansion as the song was not only officially being released but taking on a more public persona.
What Is Romantic Homicide About?
The title sounds like it can be taken literally, although the song is more than simply a narrative of an actual death.
Instead, The song uses the themes of death and murder to convey the emotional aftermath of a broken relationship. The essence of the song is the idea that relationships may continue, or at least not end until later, after the romantic part of the equation has already “died.” Someone may still be physically with a person but emotionally nonexistent, missing or unapproachable. It is that contradiction that the narrator deals with.
The narrator recounts feelings of fear, abandonment, anger, resentment, and then isolation, eventually even the word choice and tone become unnecessarily dark due to the extreme emotion portrayed in the song’s depiction of the death of a romance. It’s also why the title is so incredibly appropriate. Romantic implies love and care and relation-ship. Homicide implies destruction. The marriage of both words creates a paradox, which effectively says that love has become death without ever having heard the first lyric.
Why the Song Feels So Different From a Traditional Breakup Song
Most of these songs are either about sorrow, remembering the past, or wanting someone back. Romantic Homicide, on the other hand, is kind of in between. Its narrative arc bounces between moments of tender vulnerability and raging, burning anger.
I don’t just mean “I want them back” – in this relationship they got so far that the narrator is able to feel tenderness and hate for the same person at once, which as any complicated break-up victim knows, feels surprisingly natural.
And then there’s that minimalist production. Instead of building to massive crescendos, we’ve got lots of room to breathe around the vocal line, making the entire thing sound as if the narrator is in the room talking to you, not drowning in a huge orchestral arrangement. The music isn’t there to compete with the narrator; it’s serving to make you feel like you’re privy to them confiding in you.
How Long Is Romantic Homicide?
This song is almost two and a half minutes of music, and according to both Apple Music and Spotify, it’s just over two minutes and ten seconds. That short runtime makes sense when you consider that this is a piece of music that flourished in a streaming and social media world. The brevity of a tune also forces its producers to craft sections as succinctly as possible in order to effectively set the mood.
That’s just what “Romantic Homicide” does between its upfront vocoder-ized vocals, production, and repeated emotionally-charged phrases.
The short length of the music also helps make it repeatable. That’s hardly a criterion of success for every track out there, but in the realm of streaming, replaying a track helps with audience endurance.
When Was Romantic Homicide Added to Petals to Thorns?
“Romantic Homicide” later became part of d4vd’s debut EP, Petals to Thorns.
The EP was released on May 26, 2023, and “Romantic Homicide” appears as one of its tracks.
This creates another date that can cause confusion.
The song did not originate in 2023. It was already released as a single in July 2022. Its appearance on Petals to Thorns was a later stage in its release history.
The EP helped place the breakout single within a broader body of work. Instead of existing only as a viral standalone track, “Romantic Homicide” became part of the artistic world surrounding d4vd’s early catalog.
Romantic Homicide’s place in the EP
On Petals to Thorns, the track sits alongside songs including “Here With Me,” “Sleep Well,” “You and I,” “WORTHLESS,” and “The Bridge.”
That context helps listeners understand d4vd’s early musical direction. His work frequently explores relationships, loneliness, emotional uncertainty, attachment, and heartbreak through intimate alternative-pop production.
“Romantic Homicide” is therefore more than an isolated viral song. It is one of the tracks that established the emotional and stylistic foundation of his early catalog.
What Genre Is Romantic Homicide?
It makes sense that the term “Romantic Homicide” would often be linked to bedroom pop and alternative genres.
Bedroom pop may also be the most appropriate label given the way the song draws upon many hallmarks of the genre: very close vocals, somewhat sparse production, and personal intimacy over a pop production that lends itself towards a big sound. Also its sounds good for a genre that is still on broad appeal alternative-pop.
Thoughgenre labels don’t always fit quite right in the modern music world because artists nowadays mix multiple sounds, d4vd is no better proof of that flexibility in the very start of his career. Maybe it’s better to categorize “Romantic Homicide” as and emotional alternative pop with some touches of bedroom pop than cramming it in one genre.
Why Romantic Homicide Became So Popular on TikTok
The way the song gained popularity on TikTok highlights the growing influence of social media on music discovery. A song becomes popular when a user finds one portion that seems to pair well with their mood, idea for a story, or video, or a personally relatable event – and then that same song keeps appearing through viral trends and online culture.
Romantic Homicide lent itself particularly well to this ecosystem, because it captures devastation and anguish quickly between lyrics and sonic texture. It’s not that this song just happens to have a big chorus; its emotional tenor meant that it would work for posts about relationships, nostalgia, goodbyes, and self discovery too.
This helped create a feedback loop:
song release → user discovery → short-form video exposure → more listeners → streaming growth → wider cultural recognition.
That pathway has become increasingly important in the music industry.
How Successful Was Romantic Homicide?
The song ultimately turned out to be d4vd’s first big charting hit. A 2022 Billboard story noted that The “Romantic Homicide” song first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. It also did well on various alternative and rock charts.
The song helped to boost d4vd’s exposure and attract the attention of industry scouts.
According to Billboard, his breakthrough success then resulted in a deal with Darkroom/Interscope later in 2022. This part of the history is significant because while the song was released as a hit by an aspiring independent musician at first, ultimately its massive popularity confirmed the commercial value and viability of his material and is now intrinsically linked to d4vd’s emergence as a recording artist.
What Happened After the Original Release?
Romantic Homicide remained in d4vd’s catalog following the initial single. Petals to Thorns (2023), along with an accompanying live recording released in December 2023. AllMusic reports the latter as having an official release date of December 8, 2023.
The live version should be referenced separately from the studio original; after all, this dates the live release rather than the original work itself.
There is yet another cause that music databases seem to come with from time to time. There may be distinct pages related to the single, original album/EP release, music video, and/or live release for a track. Do remember, whenever performing a search into the catalog history of a piece, determine which release or particular version the given information corresponds to.
A Note About Recent Searches Connecting the Song to News
Some current “Romantic Homicide” searches may contain information about the legal case against d4vd, due to a situation that took place several years after “Romantic Homicide” was released. Such a situation does not apply to the song’s history during and directly following its release.
As of 2026 d4vd has been arrested and charged in connection to a death occurring to Celeste Rivas Hernandez, although his lawyers and defense attorneys have contested the accusations leveled against him, and the legal case is considered to be a separate legal matter (Billboard covers the incident here). However it is common for later events which are entirely separate from previous occasions on the internet to “re-write” earlier songs on occasion, sometimes fueling attempts to find a real-world parallel and link it to lyrics.
These conclusions may need to be addressed more critically; dark imagery appearing in a song does not necessitate that the song was in fact capable of foretelling, depicting or associated with later real world crime. The proven song release history is much more straightforward: on July 20, 2022 “Romantic Homicide” was released and years after the later legal procedures became common knowledge.
The Romantic Homicide Timeline at a Glance
The easiest way to understand the song’s history is to separate its major milestones.
July 20, 2022: d4vd releases “Romantic Homicide” as a single.
Summer 2022: The song begins attracting attention and eventually spreads widely through TikTok.
September 8, 2022: The official music video is released in the United States.
2022: The song becomes d4vd’s breakthrough charting record and helps establish him as a rising artist.
May 26, 2023: “Romantic Homicide” appears on Petals to Thorns.
December 8, 2023: A live version is released.
This timeline resolves most of the confusion surrounding the song’s dates.
Common Mistakes People Make When Searching for the Release Date
Mistaking the music video date for the song date
The music video arrived in September 2022, but the song itself was already available in July.
Assuming the EP release was the original release
Because “Romantic Homicide” is included on Petals to Thorns, some listeners may assume it debuted with the EP. It did not. The single predates the EP by almost a year.
Confusing later editions with the original
A live performance or later digital distribution can have its own date. Those dates describe a particular version or release event rather than changing the original single’s release date.
Assuming viral popularity means a song was newly released
Social media can revive or dramatically expand the audience for an older track. A song becoming popular on TikTok does not necessarily mean it was released at the same time it went viral.
What Can We Learn From Romantic Homicide’s Release History?
The story of “Romantic Homicide” demonstrates how complicated a modern song’s journey can be.
The important lesson is that release date and breakthrough date are not necessarily the same thing.
The song could drop in the dark, become a favorite within online communities, take off months later, score an animated video, hit the charts, land on an EP, and yield several remixes, ages after dropping. What is clear to consumers, that nuance, is the key factor for digging into new music too. The track offers more for artists, and music experts – in discoverability as a viable channel of distribution that not many could have foreseen at its launch.
Final Answer: When Did Romantic Homicide Come Out?
So, when did Romantic Homicide come out?
d4vd originally released “Romantic Homicide” on July 20, 2022. Apple Music and Spotify both identify that date for the single.
The song later became a viral breakthrough, received its official music video in September 2022, and was included on d4vd’s Petals to Thorns EP in May 2023.
The simplest answer to remember is:
Romantic Homicide came out on July 20, 2022.
The later dates belong to other stages of the song’s release and promotion, not its original debut.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When did Romantic Homicide come out?
“Romantic Homicide” by d4vd was originally released on July 20, 2022. Apple Music and Spotify both list that date for the single.
2. Who sings Romantic Homicide?
“Romantic Homicide” is performed by d4vd, the stage name of American singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke.
3. When did the Romantic Homicide music video come out?
The official music video was released in September 2022, with IMDb listing September 8, 2022, as the U.S. release date.
4. Was Romantic Homicide on Petals to Thorns?
Yes. The song was included on d4vd’s debut EP, Petals to Thorns, released on May 26, 2023.
5. What does Romantic Homicide mean?
The song uses the idea of a “romantic homicide” as a metaphor for the emotional death or destruction of a relationship. Its dark language represents heartbreak, resentment, emotional distance, and the desire to move beyond a failed relationship.
6. How long is Romantic Homicide?
The original recording is approximately 2 minutes and 12 seconds long.
7. Why did Romantic Homicide become popular?
The track gained significant attention through social media, particularly TikTok, where its emotional lyrics and atmospheric sound made it well suited to short-form videos. Its viral growth helped turn the song into d4vd’s breakthrough record.
Conclusion
If you were wondering when did Romantic Homicide come out, d4vd originally released the song on July 20, 2022. Its later rise on TikTok, official music video, and inclusion on Petals to Thorns helped turn the track into one of d4vd’s defining early songs.
The significant date to take note of here is the July 20, 2022 date. Keep in mind even though other release and promotional milestones will show other dates than that, they are just that – different release and milestone dates and have no bearing on the real date of release for the actual song. This timeline also begins to explain why “Romantic Homicide” was such a landmark moment in d4vd’s music journey.
