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.

Santos Bravos will make its official debut as a band with a free concert, set to take place in Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional on Oct. 21.

The all-male ensemble — which has yet to unveil its five band members since the reality series is still ongoing — will be HYBE Latin America’s first Latin pop group. The free show will mark the culmination of the 12-episode, multi-platform venture that kicked off in August across YouTube, Spotify, ViX and EXA TV.

While the candidates — hailing from Latin American countries like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Mexico — have already performed in front of an audience during Sesiones Bravas that have taken place throughout the series, the show at the Auditorio Nacional will serve as the grand finale concert. The event will feature special guests, according to a press release, who will join Santos Bravos. The group will also perform their debut song during the show.

“With Santos Bravos, HYBE Latin America is opening a new chapter in Latin music, building a project with global ambition from its origins in our region,” Jaime Escallón, show runner of the series and general manager of the project at HYBE Latin America, said in a statement. “This debut concert at Auditorio Nacional is just the beginning of what will become an unprecedented cultural and musical
phenomenon.”

Santos Bravos, the name of the band and the series, chronicles HYBE Latin America’s journey to find and launch the next Latin pop band, combining rigorous artist development, storytelling and creative use of digital platforms.

Reservations to attend the Auditorio show are now available on Weverse, HYBE’s social media/fandom platform. Ticket pick-up from Sept. 23 at designated locations, to be announced via Weverse and social media.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, and a nod to Intocable‘s 30-year legacy, the band from Texas will get its own limited-run channel on SiriusXM.

This will be the first time the radio platform will have a dedicated channel hosted by a norteño music group, according to a press release, with Intocable Radio taking over SiriusXM’s Águila (ch. 153) from Sept. 19-21.

Intocable’s frontman, Ricky Muñoz, will be the guest DJ taking listeners on a “special journey” that will not only highlight the group’s impressive catalog but also honor the artists who’ve influenced the band along the way. The programming will also include anecdotes, never-before-heard stories about the group’s decades-long career and feature a variety of songs from Ana Gabriel, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Joan Sebastian, Los Bukis and Selena, among other artists.

“We’re grateful to be able to represent our Latin community as the first regional Mexican/norteño group to have a dedicated channel on SiriusXM,” Muñoz tells Billboard. “We’re grateful to the entire team, and we hope listeners enjoy it. The experience was incredible! We were able to relive career moments, talk a little more about the music we grew up listening to, and the songs that have brought us to where we are today. Again, thank you to the SiriusXM team for allowing us to join them in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.”

Intocable Radio will be available throughout the weekend on channel 153 for SiriusXM subscribers in their cars and on the SiriusXM app.

With eight No. 1 LPs on the Top Latin Albums chart — including Sueños (2002), La Historia (2003) and Highway (2016) — the tejano pioneers have stood the test of time soundtracking multigenerational homes on both sides of the border. Intocable is set to be honored with their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year.

Spotify has announced a new multi-year global partnership with Sony Music, the third and final major to sign a new deal with Spotify this year. The deal encompasses both the recorded music and publishing sides of Sony’s business, and according to Spotify, its “new direct licensing arrangement in the U.S.” will result in higher royalties for songwriters.

It’s a notable part of the deal, given Spotify came under fire from music publishers last spring when it started paying a reduced royalty rate to songwriters and publishers in the U.S., resulting in what the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) says was a loss of $230 million in royalties in the first year.

This is because Spotify found that by adding audiobooks into its premium subscriptions, it could reclassify those popular subscriptions as “bundles,” a type of plan that qualifies for a discounted rate on U.S. mechanical royalties given that multiple products are offered under one price tag. The move caught publishers off guard and reignited longstanding tensions between publishers and Spotify about what royalties songwriters should earn.

Sony follows Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Kobalt in making these direct deals to, in part, improve remuneration for songwriters post-bundling. It’s unclear if these deals bring these companies’ royalty rates back to the level they were before bundling or not.

In a press release about the deal, limited information is given about the nature of this expanded partnership. According to a press release about the deal, “the companies will work together to keep improving the listening experience while creating more opportunities for artists and songwriters to reach audiences everywhere. These initiatives will launch new product offerings including enhanced audio and visual formats that enable deeper connections with fans.”

Recently, Spotify has been focused on expanding its offerings. The Stockholm-based company has announced it will now allow for direct messaging, a new DJ feature for playlists and high-fidelity listening — all as part of premium. Late last year, it also rolled out music videos for 97 countries, excluding users in the U.S. and Canada.

“Our partnership with Sony is built on a shared drive to shape the future of music. Together, we’re accelerating the pace of innovation to create powerful new opportunities and increasing revenue for artists and songwriters,” says Daniel Ek, Spotify’s founder and CEO. “These agreements aren’t just a milestone; they’re a catalyst for building a more dynamic and prosperous music ecosystem for everyone.”

Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music Group, says: “Sony Music Group and Spotify have long been mutually committed to advancing music streaming and growing the marketplace for all. This is further reflected in our new agreements where we’re working to develop futuristic approaches that ensure our artists and songwriters remain appropriately compensated for their work, and audiences are getting a high-quality experience that’s ever evolving.”

“These deals with Sony Music Group are built to better support artists and songwriters by unlocking new formats and forging deeper connections with fans,” says Alex Norström, co-president and chief business officer at Spotify. “This alignment creates space for new opportunities and long-term growth for everyone involved.”