Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights Soundtrack: A Bold New Musical Adventure

Charli XCX, a well-known pop star, has been making waves in the music industry with her bold and creative choices. After the huge success of her dance and electronic album Brat, which became a cultural phenomenon in 2024, Charli decided to take her music in a completely new direction. She teamed up with Finn Keane, a songwriter and producer who has worked with her on many projects, including the Grammy-winning track Von Dutch. Together, they took on the challenge of creating the soundtrack for the movie Wuthering Heights, an adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel directed by Emerald Fennell.

The decision to work on Wuthering Heights came at a time when both Charli and Finn were looking for something different. The dark and gothic themes of the movie were the perfect contrast to the energetic and colorful world of Brat. Finn explained that they were ready to move away from dance music and explore something more emotional and dramatic. Charli is known for loving extremes and opposites in her work, so this project was an exciting new step for her. They started working on the soundtrack while still touring for Brat, often using any free time they had to write and record new songs, sometimes even in hotel rooms.

At first, they thought about making just one song for the movie, but Charli was so inspired by the script and the story that she wanted to create a full album. The soundtrack features 12 tracks, including collaborations with artists like Sky Ferreira and the legendary John Cale. To capture the gothic atmosphere of Wuthering Heights, they used orchestral instruments and recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Finn even played a cheap violin himself, adding a raw and rough sound to the music. He admitted that he is not a skilled violinist, so some of the scratchy sounds in the songs are actually him playing.

Charli drew inspiration from artists like The Cure and Kate Bush, whose own song Wuthering Heights was a hit in the 1970s. Working with John Cale was a special moment for Finn, who described it as a 'pinch me' experience. The goal for the soundtrack was to create music that was not only strong and memorable as songs but also worked perfectly as a film score, adding emotional depth to the movie.

Finn said that making music for a film is very different from making a regular album. With Brat, Charli focused on making music she loved, without worrying about what others thought. For Wuthering Heights, they wanted the music to fit the story and move the audience emotionally. Finn hopes that when people watch the movie and hear the soundtrack, they will see a new side of Charli's artistry and be deeply moved by the combination of music and film.

He also mentioned that the movie is visually stunning, dark, and beautiful, and he recommends seeing it in the cinema for the full experience. However, he joked that it might be better to go with a friend or a date rather than your parents, since the film has some intense and romantic scenes. Wuthering Heights and Charli XCX's soundtrack will both be released in UK cinemas on February 13, giving fans a chance to experience this new chapter in Charli's career.