Olympic Figure Skater Alysa Liu Drops D4vd’s ‘This Is How It Feels’ From Routine ‘In Light of Recent News’

In the run-up to the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, world champion figure skater Alysa Liu is switching up the music in her program. In an Instagram post on Wednesday (Sept. 24), Liu announced that she was dropping D4vd‘s 2023 collaboration with Laufey, “This Is How it Feels,” from her short program in light of the ongoing police investigation into the death of a 15-year-old girl who was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the artist.

“As many of you know, I recently debuted a new short program for the ‘25-‘26 season,” she wrote in the post, which did not explicitly mention the D4vd or the investigation. “However, in light of recent news, my team & I are confidently pursuing a different direction that aligns with my values & just my overall ethos. I’m eager to start brainstorming new ideas, & I want to ensure my creative process isn’t rushed.”

She added that, in the meantime, her fans may see some “familiar” programs as she re-tools. Liu, 20, won the World Championship in March after announcing her retirement from competitive skating in 2022.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Liu explained, “I have to change it, you know? Forced to change my hand, basically. But that’s alright. I almost was grieving the process — ‘Oh, I have my programs. They were going to grow and evolve, and I was going to add more to it.’ But there’s nothing like a fresh start.” The AP reported that Liu made her season debut two weeks ago at the Lombardia Trophy in Italy, where she won the short program with her since-scrapped “This Is How it Feels” routine.

For now, Liu is working on an entirely new short program with her coaches, with the team sifting through potential soundtracks. Last year, Liu skated her short program to Laufey’s ballad “Promise.”

Her move comes as the LAPD continues its investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed body was found in the front trunk of a 2023 Tesla registered to 20-year-old D4vd (born David Anthony Burke) on Sept. 8 after police were alerted to a “foul odor” coming from the impounded car’s trunk at a two lot in Los Angeles; Hernandez was last seen alive in April 2024 in Riverside County.

In the weeks since, D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home has been searched by the LAPD in connection with the case and he’s canceled the remaining dates on his 2025 Withered world tour. The singer’s rep previously said in a statement that he is “fully cooperating with the authorities” in the investigation in which the LAPD has not yet named a person of interest or suspect and have not made any arrests.

In addition to the scotched dates, Kali Uchis has said she’s working on getting her D4vd “Crashing” collaboration taken off streaming platforms, while Rolling Stone reported that a deluxe edition of the singer’s debut Withered album, Withered: Marcescence — which was slated to drop last week — has not been uploaded to streaming services as planned; at press time it appeared the album had still not been released on streaming.