Petals to Thorns

Petals to Thorns
A photo of the artist sitting in a chair, surrounded by flowers.
EP by
D4vd
ReleasedMay 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
Recorded2022
StudioD4vd's house
Length28:52
Label
Producer
  • Casey Smith
  • Chris Marek
  • Dan Darmawan
  • Evan Wise
  • Matt Bartkus
  • Michael Harrison
  • Nextime
  • Noah Ehler
  • Robin Hannibal
  • Spencer Stewart
  • Stint
  • Sofia Valdés
D4vd chronology
Petals to Thorns
(2023) 		The Lost Petals
(2023)
Singles from Petals to Thorns
  1. "You and I"
    Released: January 20, 2022
  2. "Here with Me"
    Released: July 18, 2022
  3. "Romantic Homicide"
    Released: July 20, 2022
  4. "Worthless"
    Released: March 10, 2023
  5. "Sleep Well"
    Released: April 13, 2023
  6. "Don't Forget About Me"
    Released: May 19, 2023
  7. "The Bridge"
    Released: June 26, 2023

Petals to Thorns is the debut extended play by the American singer-songwriter D4vd. It was released on May 26, 2023, through Darkroom and Interscope Records. Primarily recorded in his sister's closet using the digital audio workstation tool BandLab, the EP features production from Spencer Stewart, Stint, and Robin Hannibal, among others.

Petals to Thorns was supported by seven singles, including the commercially-successful singles "Romantic Homicide" and "Here with Me". Thematically, the EP explores the topics of love and heartbreak. It became D4vd's first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 105.

Background

D4vd first began making music for his own video montages of the 2017 video game Fortnite. After repeatedly receiving copyright strikes, his mom suggested he make his own music.[1] Eight of the nine songs included on the EP were recorded in the closet of D4vd's sister, using BandLab.[2]

Composition and recording

Musically, Petals to Thorns does not have a specific genre, instead mashing multiple genres together. Atwood Magazine's Lauren Turner wrote that "not one song on the EP sticks to a particular genre or sound."[3] The EP incorporates elements of alternative R&B,[4] lo-fi,[5] new wave,[6] pop-punk,[7] and post-punk.[6] Lyrically, the album explores themes of love, heartbreak, and unrequited love.[3]

D4vd revealed how the EP first came together in an interview with Dork, stating that while he was recording songs in 2022 for Fortnite montages, he noticed that the songs fit together thematically. That same year, he realized that he had enough music both released and unreleased, so he used the material to create the EP.[5]

Promotion

Singles

The EP's lead single, "You and I", was released on January 10, 2022.[8]

"Here with Me" was released as the EP's second single on July 18, 2022.[9]

"Romantic Homicide" was released as the EP's third single on July 20, 2022. The song went viral following its usage on the video sharing app TikTok.[10]

"Worthless" was released as the EP's fourth single on March 10, 2023.[11]

"Sleep Well" was released on April 13, 2023, as the EP's fifth single.[12]

"Don't Forget About Me" was released as the EP's sixth single a week before its release, on May 26, 2023.[13]

"The Bridge" impacted triple-A radio on June 26, 2023, as the EP's seventh and final single.[14]

Tour

In promotion of the EP, D4vd announced the Petals to Thorns Tour on April 3, 2023, spanning North America, Europe, and Japan. The tour began on April 30, 2023, and ended on August 10, 2023.[15] The Asian leg of the tour was announced on August 22, 2023, which began on November 23, 2023, and ended on December 9, 2023.[16]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sleep Well"
2:55
2."Here with Me"
  • Burke
  • Dan Darmawan
Darmawan4:02
3."This Is How It Feels" (featuring Laufey)
  • Burke
  • Laufey
  • Leroy Clampitt
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Noah Ehler
4:44
4."Don't Forget About Me"
  • Nextime
  • Evan Wise
  • Robin Hannibal
2:29
5."Worthless"
  • Burke
  • Casey Smith
  • Stewart
  • Sofia Valdés
  • Stewart
  • Smith
  • Valdés
2:43
6."Backstreet Girl"BurkeMatt Bartkus4:10
7."You and I"BurkeGrayskies2:33
8."Romantic Homicide"
  • Burke
  • Darmawan
Darmawan2:12
9."The Bridge"Burke
  • Chris Marek
  • Michael Harrison
3:02

Charts

Chart performance for Petals to Thorns
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 45
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[18] 24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 27
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 37
US Billboard 200[21] 105

Certifications

Certifications for Petals to Thorns
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[22] Gold 40,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[23] Gold 7,500‡
Poland (ZPAV)[24] Gold 10,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Lee, Cydney (May 15, 2023). "How 'Fortnite' Led to 18-Year-Old d4vd Quietly Dominating Alternative Music". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  2. ^ Armstrong, Megan (June 2, 2023). "How Singer-Songwriter D4vd Became the Mouthpiece for Gen-Z Heartache". GQ. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Turner, Lauren (December 19, 2023). "The 36 Best EPs of 2023". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Lochrie, Conor (June 2, 2023). "Meet d4vd: From 'Fortnite' to Fame, Petals to Thorns". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Firth, Abigail (October 26, 2023). "D4vd: "When Everybody Feels Misunderstood, It's Cool to Have An Artist that You Gravitate To". Dork. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Collar, Matt (May 26, 2023). "Petals to Thorns - D4vd". AllMusic. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Schube, Will (May 26, 2023). "D4VD Shares Stunning New 'Petals To Thorns EP'". UDiscover Music. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "You and I - D4vd". Spotify. D4vd. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ^ d4vd - Here With Me (Official Audio). D4vd. July 18, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  10. ^ Zellner, Xander (September 14, 2022). "Hot 100 First-Timers: D4vd Debuts With Breakthrough Hit 'Romantic Homicide'". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Graves, Shahlin (March 10, 2023). "Listen: d4vd shares new song 'Worthless'". Coup de Main magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  12. ^ O'Connor, Siobhain (April 13, 2023). "D4vd Has Unveiled The Latest Single 'Sleep Well', From His Upcoming Debut EP". Dork. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Samuels, Keithan (May 19, 2023). "D4vd Shares New Song 'Don't Forget About Me'". Rated R&B. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  15. ^ Darville, Jordan (April 3, 2023). "D4vd announces EP, adds 2023 tour dates". The Fader. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  16. ^ Singj, Surej (August 22, 2023). "d4vd announces debut Asia tour this November and December". NME. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "D4vd: Petals to Thorns" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "2023 22-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. June 2, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "Charts.nz – D4vd – Petals to Thorns". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  20. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – D4vd – Petals to Thorns". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  21. ^ @billboardcharts (June 5, 2023). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved March 23, 2023 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "Canadian album certifications – D4vd – Petals to Thorns". Music Canada. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  23. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – D4vd – Petals to Thorns". Radioscope. Retrieved December 21, 2024. Type Petals to Thorns in the "Search:" field.
  24. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 13, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Petals to Thorns in the search box.