Listen Up

A Britney Spears cover, rare gospel track, playful love song and more music from the week

Boychik: Dust After Rest Boychik—a moniker for singer, composer and actor Ben Levi Ross—arrives with “Dust After Rest,” a debut single of profound depth and beauty. This ethereal exploration of queer identity is coupled with visuals both imaginative and life-affirming, directed by Ross and John Novotny, that transition from intimate close-ups to puppetry and idyllic landscapes. “I actually live just a few blocks away from Puppet Works,” …

Boychik: Dust After Rest

Boychik—a moniker for singer, composer and actor Ben Levi Ross—arrives with “Dust After Rest,” a debut single of profound depth and beauty. This ethereal exploration of queer identity is coupled with visuals both imaginative and life-affirming, directed by Ross and John Novotny, that transition from intimate close-ups to puppetry and idyllic landscapes. “I actually live just a few blocks away from Puppet Works,” Ross tells COOL HUNTING. …

Ethel Cain: Everytime (Britney Spears Cover)

Replacing the tinkling keys of Britney Spears’ haunting 2003 ballad “Everytime” with a guitar, Ethel Cain reimagines the sad bop as a slowed-down, even more somber lament. The song (written by Spears and her back-up singer Annet Artani) is an ethereal, shapeshifting creation that’s carried by Cain’s melancholy voice and almost eerie backing vocals. The singer-songwriter says in a statement, “I’ve always loved this song …