Almost one year to the day after his debut single "It's The Way" conquered satellite dance channels and made marks on the Billboard charts, Bryan Todd delivers his second outing of dance pop with the infectious "Wherever You Are." Already gaining major momentum in club play around the country, this sophomore effort has even managed to permeate the chic playlists of major demographic retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch. No stranger to the music industry, this Nashville native (now based in Los Angeles) has all the right ingredients to make it big, working with top producers and writers and a playlist of remixers that are bound to get him noticed. Fans of melancholic hit "It's The Way" will find solace in the Johnny Budz remix, which marks a bold departure from his trademark "freestyle" renditions of pop gems in lieu of a more melodic trance approach. Ironically, the Mr. Mig remix takes the flipside and provides a solid freestyle interpretation, leaving one to wonder if perhaps the two were comparing notes in the studio.
"Wherever You Are" is unashamedly "pop" in nature, but even with its almost predictable lyrics and superfluous use of 'baby' and 'oh yeah' in place of rhyme, it stands out as the kind of track that icons like the Backstreet Boys would have taken to Number One. But don't get me wrong: Todd's delivery is far from inferior to that of any major star, and his breathy vocal style and delicious good looks have landed him cameos in major motion pictures like Vanilla Sky and in music videos alongside of Jennifer Lopez, N'Sync, and Anastacia. With the eminent re-release in Sweden of his debut single "It's The Way" in early 2006, Bryan Todd's move to sign with New York's Big Management in the US suddenly seems an all-the-wiser move. Singles-oriented labels like Ultra or Robbins would be smart to jump on this guy's talent as he transforms into a definite contender in the album market, strengthened by his coveted international publishing contracts with Warner/Chappell.
