Along with Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated ‘Wuthering Heights’ film starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, came quite an equally anticipated new original soundtrack album from Charli XCX. The 12-track album, released on Feb. 13, 2026, was the pop singer’s most recent release since her hit album BRAT in 2024. Although Wuthering Heights is very different from its predecessor, the album presents an energy that perfectly transports listeners into the gothic moors of the film.
The album begins with “House” featuring John Cale, which was released as a single in November 2025 and promptly started trending as a TikTok sound with the lyric, “I think I’m gonna die in this house.” Despite it being used for comedic videos online, the song creates an ominous vibe with strings all throughout the intro, both squeaking and consistently humming the same note while Cale speaks about beauty, creating the most eerie storytelling. The last minute of the song is an eruption of loud, slightly techno vocals from Cale and Charli, which is a powerful beginning to the album.
The second single from the album was released only three days after “House,” titled “Chains of Love.” The song offers a more classic Charli energy, with her distinct vocals being the spotlight in a much more pop-like song. The song compares love to being a prisoner in the fully emotional way that is completely in line with the film’s promotional atmosphere – a risque and modern reimagining of the classic love story. “Chains of Love” is my current favorite on the album, as Charli’s voice really shines through in the catchy, yet heartfelt song.
The final single release before the film came out was the second song on the album, “Wall of Sound,” which keeps with the theme of strings as background music. This song sounds more similar to Charli’s style in BRAT – specifically the chorus, which is more isolated and staccato, as opposed to the smoother and echoey pieces of the song. Full of energy, the song grows even more anticipatory towards the end, as Charli’s vocals muffle and crescendo, and the strings take over.
The album, in its entirety, combines Charli’s unique style with the retelling of the classic novel. In “Dying for You,” Charli has a quick, pop vibe with lyrics that depict love to the point of destruction, mirroring the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff in the film. The juxtaposition between the energy and the meaning of the song is beautifully haunting, almost representing the feeling of this type of love: so happy on the outside, but destructive on the inside: “Cause you’re the poison I drink, I drink you twice to be sure.”
“Seeing Things” is one song on the album that tends to stray from Charli’s classic pop style, exploring a more gothic side. The strings in the song are quicker and more intense, complimenting Charli’s vocals very nicely. One notable critique is that the lyrics do not necessarily match up with the sound, feeling much less sophisticated than the music itself.
The closing track of the album, titled “Funny Mouth,” starts slow and eerie, similar to the very beginning of the album. The music intensifies and the beat drops, leading to a unique song, led by a string-centered and dreamlike sound. The music calms near the end of the song and fades out, serving as a satisfying ending to the album.
Overall, Charli XCX represented the new film ‘Wuthering Heights’ very well through her album, depicting the theme of tortured love through her modern music. Although some of the lyrics lack sophistication in comparison to the music itself, as well as the original source material, the album is still a great accompaniment to the modern romance film, and there was no one better than Charli XCX to create it. She created beautiful music that can be enjoyed both in and out of the context of the film.
Rating: 8/10