Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track ‘House’ for the ‘Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack – and there’s an entire album coming

Charli XCX has revealed details of a collaboration with John Cale on the single ‘House’, part of the soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights’. Announcing the track, Charli described it as “the first offering from my album for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights”.

In a statement, Charli expressed her immediate inspiration to compose music for the film, saying, “After being so in the depths of my previous album, I was excited to escape into something entirely new, entirely opposite.” She reflected on the themes associated with ‘Wuthering Heights’, noting, “When I think of Wuthering Heights, I think of many things. I think of passion and pain. I think of England. I think of the Moors, I think of the mud and the cold. I think of determination and grit.”

Discussing her collaboration with Cale, Charli shared her admiration for The Velvet Underground, quoting Cale’s description of music as needing to be both “elegant and brutal.” Charli explained that she was drawn to this phrase, “I got really stuck on that phrase. I wrote it down in my notes app and would pull it up from time to time and think about what he meant.” This led her to reach out to Cale for his input, resulting in their collaboration. “That voice, so elegant, so brutal. I sent him some songs, and we started talking specifically about House. We spoke about the idea of a poem. He recorded something and sent it to me. Something that only John could do. And it was… well, it made me cry,” she said.

‘Wuthering Heights’ is directed by Emerald Fennell, featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. The film has already generated attention with its graphic content during a test screening.

In addition to the soundtrack, Charli is collaborating with Jack Antonoff on music for the A24 film ‘Mother Mary’. Her ventures into acting include roles in ‘Overcompensating’, ‘Erupcja’, and ‘100 Nights Of Hero’. Upcoming projects include appearances in ‘Sacrifice’, ‘I Want Your Sex’, and a lead role in her A24 “mockumentary” ‘The Moment’.

Charli has hinted at a new direction for her next album, exploring “a lot of stuff with strings”, as described by her producers A.G. Cook, Finn Keane, and Mr XCX, George Daniel.