Toward the end of one of the biggest years in her career, Charli xcx received a text from director Emerald Fennell asking her to write a song for the film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, “Wuthering Heights.” Following the “BRAT” summer takeover, Charli found unexpected inspiration while reading the novel. What was supposed to be a single song turned into an album.
For Charli, this opportunity felt like freedom from the “BRAT” era. This was a chance for her to do something new and show people she’s more than the “crazy party girl” she advertised with her 2024 album.
“I wanted to dive into persona, into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, sexual, gothic, British, tortured and full of actual real sentences, punctuation and grammar,” Charli said in a Substack essay. “Without a cigarette or a pair of sunglasses in sight, it was all totally other from the life I was currently living.”
“Wuthering Heights” is in a whole different realm than “BRAT,” and yet, her iconic electronic vocals are instantly recognizable as she portrays this story through music. Without losing her sound as an artist, Charli successfully proved her worth as a versatile songwriter and musician.
“I was really surprised to see that Charli was doing the music for it. It almost felt like a joke, and I love Charli’s music,” Sydney Rose, a junior sociology and Spanish major, said. “I appreciated that it was very unexpected, and had a lot of songs that I really enjoyed.”
The album opens with “House featuring John Cale,” an eerie track featuring an open monologue by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. The 3-and-a-half-minute track serves as a tone setter for the rest of the album, giving off the gothic, emotional and dark energy that Charli was going for.
Although rather ominous, this song is crucial to the record as a whole. It immediately puts the listener in the correct mindset for the listening experience. The repetitive closing line “I think I’m gonna die in this house” has gone viral, with people making videos to the sound.
The other single release of this album, “Chains of Love,” is a perfect encapsulation of the original story, feeling tied down by love, unable to escape and let go. This track has a taste of Charli’s synth-pop past while still offering a mature, dramatic twist to connect to the film.
“As a songwriter, Charli’s directness, rather than her expressiveness, has long been her greatest gift; although a diva as a performer, as a writer she’s still acquiring a taste for the dramatic,” Harry Tafoya, contributor at Pitchfork, said.
Despite the album’s directness, Charli’s versatility is apparent. The combination of pop-like vocal effects paired with orchestral instrumentals makes the soundtrack a very creative collection of songs. For an artist who has built a brand centered around “living life on the wild side,” Charli transcended that persona and wrote a new, more mature narrative for herself.
“Dying for You,” one of the more popular songs off the soundtrack, sounds the most like Charli from the “BRAT” era. Her fast tempo and production tricks are reminiscent of the songs she wrote in 2024, which took the world by storm.
This track displays similar themes to those of “Chains of Love”: the grasp that someone can have on you. In this track, she wrote, “All the pain and torture that I went through / All makes sense to me now, I was dying for you / Dying for you.” With a love story like that of “Wuthering Heights,” these themes come up a lot throughout this album.
“I think Charli does an excellent job trying to capture the emotions that the director wanted to portray. I think ‘Chains of Love’ is an instant hit among Charli’s musical repertoire,” Rose said.
After a whirlwind past two years, Charli bids farewell to the artist who created “BRAT” and sets forth on a new journey. What was supposed to be a single track based on the 19th century novel, turned into a 12-song soundtrack, showcasing her talents as a musician, lyricist and most importantly, a storyteller.
