CoComelon is evolving from the cartoon world of baby JJ to a live-action classroom for its upcoming series The Melon Patch — and their popular nursery rhymes are coming along for the ride.

Leading the way in the educational series The Melon Patch — arriving Sept. 23 on YouTube — is Ms. Appleberry (played by Allie Rivera Quiñonez), joined by Mr. Doodad the art teacher, Mr. Acorn the nature and exploration expert, and Ms. Twist the dance and movement coach. Below, Billboard Family is premiering CoComelon’s new rendition of “Apples and Bananas,” alongside a clip from The Melon Patch of Ms. Appleberry teaching how to make a tasty (and healthy) snack.

Before The Melon Patch hits YouTube, kids and parents can start streaming CoComelon Nursery Rhymes (Songs From The Melon Patch), the new album of brand-new and reimagined nursery rhymes from the series, on Friday (Sept. 19).

Joshua Embury, music director at Moonbug Entertainment, tells Billboard Family that this new album is an extension of what CoComelon has already been doing for years.

“What makes this album special is that it combines our most iconic nursery rhyme renditions with fresh reimaginings, creating a complete CoComelon nursery rhyme journey,” Embury says. “We wanted to celebrate the songs that first connected families to CoComelon while also introducing new rhymes we’ve been developing. Because nursery rhymes are such an important part of every child’s musical journey, creating a definitive collection felt essential.

“For the new tracks, we focused on more organic instrumentation to give the music warmth and authenticity, and added human touches like whistling and humming,” he adds. “We also wove in our signature marimba motif from the CoComelon intro, using it in interludes, intros and outros to build familiarity. By experimenting with tempos and structures, especially in originals like ‘I Can Do It,’ we aimed to give the album a fresh and contemporary sound.”

Embury says his favorite song on the project is CoComelon’s new version of “Down by the Bay.” While the song is often associated with children’s singer Raffi, who recorded it in 1976, it’s actually a traditional folk song whose exact origins are unknown. “It feels big and anthemic, while still being playful and silly with lyrics like ‘Did you ever see a llama wearing pajamas?’” Embury says. “It’s fun, unexpected, and a great example of how we’re giving classic rhymes a fresh energy.”

Also on the album: CoComelon’s classic “Wheels on the Bus” recording, which has had a consistent presence on Billboard‘s Global charts thanks in part to its video’s heavy rotation on YouTube. The song has so far peaked at No. 88 on the Global 200 Excl. U.S. — a chart that didn’t even exist when “Wheels” was initially released in 2019.

Embury says that “Wheels on the Bus” is the “most definitive nursery rhyme because it’s simple, repetitive, and endlessly adaptable. Kids love it because it’s easy to sing and full of movement, and parents can personalize it by adding their own verses. The way the melody progresses feels very kinetic and although cliché to say, the song really does move ‘round and round.’ In terms of what makes CoComelon’s rendition of the song so successful, I think it’s a combination of how the music and the visuals work together to create such a fun and engaging experience that really brings the song to life.”

CoComelon has previously placed three albums on Billboard‘s Kid Albums chart, including two top 10s: Nursery Rhymes by CoComelon, which peaked at No. 2 this year, and CoComelon Kids HIts, Vol. 1 (No. 8 this year).

The Melon Patch premieres Sept. 23 on YouTube, while CoComelon Nursery Rhymes (Songs From The Melon Patch) is out Friday.

Michelle Jubelirer and Arjun Pulijal, former top executives at Capitol Music Group, have officially launched Soft Shock, a new management and media collective designed to reshape how talent is developed and supported across entertainment. Positioned “at the edge of boutique,” Soft Shock said in its launch announcement that it will offer a wide range of services including talent management, creative marketing, brand development and content production/distribution across all media formats.

Soft Shock is backed by a strategic investment from HarbourView Equity Partners, a four-year-old firm founded by Sherrese Clarke. HarbourView, based in Newark, NJ, has amassed nearly $3 billion in music and entertainment assets — including a mix of active and passive publishing rights and master royalty holdings — with a catalog that includes stakes in works by Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa, George Benson, Fleetwood Mac and others.

Focused on authenticity and direct fan engagement, the company describes its mission as championing artists and driving cultural impact, adding it is committed to building a diverse roster of talent and leaning more on trust-based partnerships. Beyond music, Soft Shock will also represent a broad range of creatives — comedians, filmmakers, actors, athletes, designers, chefs and others.

“The name Soft Shock exemplifies our approach to everything. We are humanistic and empathetic first… but we are going to fiercely protect artists and fight to make things happen for them,” said Jubelirer. “It’s a volatile time for the creative psyche – that applies to talent as well as those on the business side trying to build careers –  these are people’s lives. We believe creative intention, personal fulfillment, and commercial success can all co-exist. It just takes curation and bravery, or as we say, ‘a soft touch with the courage to shock.’” 

Jubelirer, who made history as the first female chair and CEO of Capitol in its 80-plus year history, brings a wealth of experience from both the legal and music industries. Her career includes roles at Sony Music, the law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner, and Capitol, where she helped guide the careers of artists like Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, and M.I.A. She exited CMG in early 2024 following a restructuring at CMG parent Universal Music Group, and that same year was named Billboard‘s Women In Music executive of the year.

Pulijal, who served as president of CMG before departing a month after Jubelirer, previously led marketing efforts for the label, crafting acclaimed campaigns for artists such as Paul McCartney, Halsey, and Maggie Rogers. He joined Capitol in 2013 after seven years at Epic Records. Together, Jubelirer and Pulijal bring over 50 years of combined experience and a track record of commercial and creative success. During their tenure at CMG, they oversaw major milestones including the rise of Ice Spice, Sam Smith and the release of the Beatles’ final single “Now & Then.”

“It may not always feel like it, but artists have the power now and it’s never going back,” said Pulijal. “Telling talent ‘go viral and then we’ll care’ is a race to the bottom. We combat that by building scale on the side of talent through a diverse network that offers thought partnership and collaboration. All artists are creators and Soft Shock is ready to provide them with the tools, resources, and creative freedom they need to build sustainable, multi-faceted careers.”

With Soft Shock, Jubelirer and Pulijal aim to create a top spot for talent seeking authentic collaboration, supported by HarbourView’s portfolio. HarbourView CEO Sherrese Clarke cited the founders’ “vision and conviction” as leaders. “I’ve watched Michelle fight for artists with the same courage she brings to every table we’ve shared, including our shared passion for the most vulnerable, and Arjun is equally relentless in reimagining what’s possible,” said Clarke. “At HarbourView, we look for partners who not only shift culture but expand it – with Soft Shock’s focus on artistry, equity, and impact in entertainment, they perfectly embody that.”

The year 1995 truly had it all for TLC. The trio of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozanda “Chili” Thomas and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes had become stars with their 1992 album Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, but in late 1994, the release of sophomore set CrazySexyCool had taken them to the next level — a winning streak that would last through all of ’95 for the R&B group. But even in the midst of multiple era-defining No. 1 hits, VMAs-dominating music videos and unprecedented millions in album sales, the group had to fight through countless setbacks — medical, legal and (particularly) financial.

On this week’s Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by NYU professor, longtime music industry exec and social media legend Naima Cochrane to remember a year that essentially serves as the midpoint for all of ’90s pop stardom. We recall just what made TLC so exceptionally sensational — even during an absolute golden age for R&B girl groups — and talk about all the factors that would make such a year of pop stardom near-impossible 30 years later.

Along the way, we of course ask all the most important questions about the Greatest Pop Stars of 1995: What made CrazySexyCool such a great leap forward for an already A-list group? Did you really have to have one or multiple sets of silk pajamas to be fly in the mid-’90s? How differently would we talk about Left Eye’s toxic relationship with Andre Rison in 2025? Is “Waterfalls” a timeless classic or a dated message song? Was TLC secretly the model for HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters (and every other girl group of the last 30 years)? And perhaps most importantly: What would it take for us to really get girl groups back in the mainstream in the 2020s?

Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from TLC’s 1995, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!

And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Destination Tomorrow

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

The BBC has announced the new broadcast date for an Ozzy Osbourne documentary that was pulled from its schedule at the last minute in August due to the family’s request. According to an update posted on Wednesday (Sept. 17), the one-hour movie Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home — originally slated to air on Aug. 18 — will now screen on BBC One and iPlayer on Oct. 2.

The film covering the final few years of the rock icon’s life was pulled from the network’s schedule just hours before it was slated to screen, with the network saying that the move came in an effort at “respecting the family’s wishes to wait a bit longer before airing this very special film.”

The initial air date would have been less than a month after Osbourne died at age 76 on July 22, just two weeks after performing his final show at his home soccer stadium, Villa Park, in Birmingham, England as part of the all-star Back to the Beginning tribute show.

The movie will cover the final three years of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life as he and wife/manager Sharon Osbourne moved back to their native U.K. after years of living in Los Angeles, as well as his “heroic” fight to overcome a series of medical issues to return to the stage for the July 5 show in Ozzy’s native Birmingham.

An updated description of the “intimate” doc says it will provide a “candid and moving portrait of one of Birmingham’s favorite songs, and the remarkable relationship with Sharon as the couple faced a “monumental battle, both on a professional and personal level” to overcome the effects of Parkinson’s disease on the heavy metal icon, as well as the aftermath of a difficult spinal surgery.

“Pulling off either the move or the gig will be a phenomenal achievement, and son Jack is worried about the toll of relocating to a country that his parents have barely spent time in over the last two decades, as well as the impact on such close-knit family dynamics,” reads the description. “But Ozzy has never been a man to take no for an answer, and with Sharon’s support he sets about achieving his goals with the determination, blistering honesty and razor-sharp sense of humor that have endeared him to millions for over 50 years. He will stop at nothing to make his body work as well as it used to, with the film capturing remarkable levels of resolve.”

The BBC doc will hit screen just five days before another emotional doc covering Ozzy’s final years, Ozzy: No Escape From Now, which will follow the rocker in the six years before his death. That movie, directed by BAFTA Award-winner Tania Alexander will premiere on Paramount+ on Oct. 7 in the U.S. and internationally (excluding Japan). The project produced in collaboration with the Osbourne family, will feature Sharon, as well as their children, Aimee, Jack and Kelly, describing the devastating effects of a late-night fall Ozzy suffered in Feb. 2019 that led to the cancellation of his planned two-and-a-half-year farewell tour.

In addition to the Osbourne family, No Escape From Now will feature interviews with Ozzy’s Sabbath and solo band members guitarists Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde, as well as the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Rage Agains the Machine’s Tom Morello, Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan, Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield and bassist Robert Trujillo, Billy Idol, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and many others.