Charli XCX has stepped into gothic territory. The pop 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 video 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 documentary 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 soundtrack, 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.
