Charli XCX has stepped into gothic territory. The popPopShort for popular music, a broad genre built on catchy melodies, clear hooks, and polished production that aims to reach a wide audience. Pop constantly borrows from other styles, andGo to Pop Glossary world’s “brat” has teamed up with Velvet Underground co-founder and avant-garde icon John Cale for a new single, “House,” featured on the soundtrack of Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. The track marks a meeting of generations: Charli, one of pop’s most provocative shapeshifters, and Cale, a pioneering force in experimental rock since the 1960s.
The music videoMusic VideoA short film made to accompany a song, combining visuals, performance, and storytelling to reinforce the music. Since the days of television, music videos have been a space for creativeGo to Music Video Glossary for “House” matches the song’s eerie tone. Set in a remote cabin, it captures both artists in isolation, with Cale delivering a once haunting and hypnotic spoken-word passage. The track leans into moody synth textures and minimalist piano, evoking the desolate romanticism that defines Wuthering Heights.
Charli has been open about her admiration for Cale, tracing the collaboration back to her discovery of Todd Haynes’ 2021 documentaryDocumentaryA nonfiction film that explores real people, events, or issues, using interviews, archival material, and observation to tell its story. Documentaries can inform, challenge, and move audiences, and Philippine filmmakersGo to Documentary Glossary The Velvet Underground. “One thing that stuck with me was how John Cale described a key sonic requirement of the Velvet Underground,” she wrote to fans on a November 7 post on X. “That any song had to be both ‘elegant and brutal.’ I got really stuck on that phrase.”
Beyond the soundtrackSoundtrackThe music that accompanies a film, series, or game, including original scores and licensed songs. A good soundtrack sets the mood and can become a hit on its own, turningGo to Soundtrack Glossary, Charli’s expanding her artistic reach with a string of upcoming film projects — including roles in Faces of Death, I Want Your Sex, The Gallerist, and Sacrifice. “House” is another reminder of her ability to slip between worlds, fusing avant-garde history with the future of pop.
Wuthering Heights hits theaters February 13, 2026.
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