Draft:Todd in the Shadows
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Todd Nathanson (born 3 June 1984),[1] also known by the name Todd in the Shadows, is an American internet personality, music critic, and podcast host. He has been making pop song reviews since 2009. A member of Channel Awesome from 2010 to 2018, his videos are currently hosted on YouTube and Nebula. Nathanson usually conceals his appearance in a mask and dim lighting, hence the "shadows" part of his name.
Career
[edit]Nathanson began uploading pop song reviews to YouTube in 2009. In 2010, he was discovered and picked up by Channel Awesome. For most of the Channel Awesome period, Nathanson's videos (and most of the other content on the site) were hosted by Blip.tv. After Blip's 2015 shutdown, Nathanson began reuploading his older videos to his YouTube channel, which remains his main platform. Nathanson appeared in two of the channel's films, Suburban Knights[2] and To Boldly Flee.[3]
In March 2018, Channel Awesome was accused of mismanagement and abuse by many of its former content creators, including Nathanson's former girlfriend Lindsay Ellis. Shortly after the initial allegations, Nathanson announced his departure from the group.[4]
In 2023, Nathanson made a video, titled "I Fact-Checked the Worst Video Essayist on YouTube", in which he accused YouTube personality James Somerton of spreading misinformation on various topics, including queer history and Nazism. His video was posted days after a similar video by Hbomberguy that accused Somerton of plagiarism.[5] At one hour and 42 minutes, it is Nathanson's longest video; as of 2025, it is also his most viewed, with 2.5 million views.[6]
Videos
[edit]Video series
[edit]Nathanson's flagship series is Todd's Pop Song Reviews, in which he reviews a song currently on the Billboard Top 40. He has been making these videos since 2009, starting with a review of "Down" by Jay Sean and Lil Wayne. At the time of the video's publication, Nathanson did not know how to edit, write, or film.[7] Nathanson has said that the song he's reviewed which he hates the most is"Break Up" by Mario and Gucci Mane.[8]
Nathanson began his second series, One Hit Wonderland, in 2012. These videos explore a one-hit wonder, and always follow the same format, in which the artist is analyzed through the following categories: "The Big Hit", "The Failed Follow-Up", "Did They Ever Do Anything Else?", and "Did They Deserve Better?". The first episode of One Hit Wonderland was a review of a-ha's "Take On Me".[9]
Nathanson began Trainwreckords, in which he analyzes "albums that destroyed careers", in 2017 with a review of Jewel's0304.[10] From 2015 to 2016, Nathanson had a series called Cinemadonna, in which he reviewed the film career of Madonna.
Image
[edit]Nathanson usually spends his videos in the dark, sitting at his piano, so that he appears as a silhouette, hence the "in the shadows" part of his name. When he does appear on camera, he conceals the top half of his face using a black mask. Nathanson has explained that when he started making videos, he was looking for a job, and worried that potential employers would not hire him should they recognize him.[11][8] He also disliked the idea of only doing voiceovers, so he decided to depict himself in silhouette, saying that "I just loved the picture of it in my head. I couldn't stop myself from starting the show once I filmed it like that."[11]
Influence
[edit]Many of the artists featured on One Hit Wonderland have reacted positively towards Nathanson's coverage of their careers, including Jhoti Mishra,[12] Elmo Shropshire,[13] and EMF.[14] Conversely, Lady Miss Kier of Dee-Lite disliked Todd's review of "Groove is in the Heart".[13]
Personal life
[edit]Nathanson was one of many Channel Awesome personalities who travelled to Washington, D.C. in 2011 to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act.[15]
Nathanson once dated fellow Channel Awesome alum Lindsay Ellis. The two influenced each other's work: they occasionally appeared in each other's videos, and Ellis convinced Nathanson to make a "review" of Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music" which consisted almost entirely of Nathanson analyzing Brown's past scandals and public image.[8]
Nathanson cites John Stewart's run on The Daily Show as one of his biggest influences. He got into music criticism from reading AllMusic critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Ned Raggett, as MTV was banned in his home growing up.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Todd Nathanson Biography". IMDB.
- ^ "Suburban Knights (Video 2011)". IMDB.
- ^ "To Boldly Flee (Video 2012)". IMDB.
- ^ @ShadowTodd (Todd Nathanson) (22 March 2018). ""So, today, I parted ways with Channel Awesome. I've been with them for a very long time and I think it's time to start a new phase in my career."". Twitter.
- ^ Marshall, Cass (6 December 2023). "Hbomberguy's 4-hour YouTube video about plagiarism set social media abuzz". Polygon.
- ^ Todd in the Shadows (3 December 2023). "I Fact-Checked the Worst Video Essayist on YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Todd in the Shadows (20 July 2015). "POP SONG REVIEW: "Down" by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne". YouTube.
- ^ a b c Channel Awesome (10 July 2014). "Shut Up and Talk: Todd in the Shadows". YouTube.
- ^ Todd in the Shadows (24 July 2015). "ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Take On Me" by A-ha". YouTube.
- ^ Todd in the Shadows (21 October 2017). "TRAINWRECKORDS: "0304" by Jewel". YouTube.
- ^ a b c Jocelyn, Hannah (23 January 2020). "Todd in the Shadows Brings Pop Criticism and Top 40 History to the YouTube Era". Billboard.
- ^ Mishra, Jhoti (22 December 2022). ""Todd in the Shadows-One Hit Wonderland"". whitetown.co.uk.
- ^ a b @ShadowTodd (Todd Nathanson) (9 May 2016). ""Some actually have watched me! Dr. Elmo and a guy from EMF liked me, Lady Miss Kier of Deelite absolutely did not"". Twitter.
- ^ @EMFTheBand (18 June 2013). ""Nice review ;) RT @blip: The song "Unbelievable" by EMF was unbelievable ...or was it? @ShadowTodd breaks it down."". Twitter.
- ^ Ellis, Lindsay (15 December 2011). "Mr. Awesome Goes To Washington". Retrieved 1 June 2025.
Category:1984 births Category:American music critics Category:YouTube channels launched in 2009 Category:Living people