An emerging US singer has sparked anger online after he released “tone-deaf” songs about sex while his brother D4vd is being held in a detention centre charged with murdering teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Caleb Burke Faces Backlash for Music Career Launch
Caleb Burke was slammed by people on X after he released original songs under the artist name Kova with lyrics detailing experiences with sex and love, despite D4vd being accused of murdering Rivas Hernandez after she allegedly threatened to expose their inappropriate relationship.
D4vd is currently jailed in a Los Angeles detention centre on first-degree murder charges, as well as charges of child sexual abuse and mutilation of human remains, over the death of the 14-year-old.
Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered body was found decomposing in the boot of an abandoned Tesla registered to D4vd in September 2025.
According to court files, he met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to reveal their inappropriate relationship.
Social Media Outrage
Caleb’s songs were labelled as “tone-deaf” by social media users, who flocked to X to express their outrage and to demand the entire Burke family be “locked up”.
“Whole family tone-deaf as hell… Dude really saw his sibling facing murder charges and dropped sex songs!!” one X user wrote on Tuesday.
“It is interesting timing to launch a whole music career right when D4vd’s case is trending,” another user wrote.
Another wrote: “D4vd locked for murder, brother drops sex songs exploiting the case? Whole family demonic.”
However, some X users came to Caleb’s defence as they argued he is “a whole different person” than D4vd and that he “shouldn’t be judged for his brother’s crimes”.
Timing of Music Releases
Caleb first teased his entry into the music industry on April 9 on Instagram, then, two days before D4vd’s arrest on April 16, he released his debut single Imaginary Love, while promising his 867 followers more “new music soon!!”.
Caleb released another single called S*x on Monday.
D4vd’s court filing stated he bought two chainsaws online that he used to cut apart Rivas Hernandez’s body in an inflatable pool.
“Defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body,” prosecutors said in the brief.
Two of her fingers were missing when the body was found. Rivas Hernandez had his name tattooed on them, they said.
D4vd rose to fame on TikTok with viral hits Romantic Homicide and Here With Me.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has another hearing in the case on May 15.
