British singer-songwriter Charlotte Emma Aitchison, better known as Charli XCX, released her 7th studio album Wuthering Heights Friday, Feb. 13. The album is the soundtrack of the new film Wuthering Heights, released in theaters on the same date. Throughout the album, Charli XCX explores a new sound, trading in her iconic club anthems for cinematic slow songs.
Charli XCX, best known for her 2024 album brat, has been releasing music for over 10 years. XCX started songwriting at 14 years old and later posted her songs on MySpace, which caught the attention of Asylum Records in 2010, introducing her to the rave scene. Her first taste of international fame came from her feature on “I love it” by Icona Pop, which hit number one in the UK.
This album’s title is a reference to Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights, which is known for its emotional extremism. Charli XCX was able to capture this theme by expressing the feminine rage present throughout Brontë’s novel while adding a modern twist.
The album’s opening track, “House featuring John Cale,” has a haunted tone layered with industrial beats and pitchy notes. The storytelling-like intro paired with the unsettling lyrics like, “I think I’m gonna die in this house,” instantly sets up the album with a more eerie sound than Charli XCX is typically known for.
The second track, “Wall of Sound,” lives up to its name with a dense blend of sound creating a suffocating feel. The chaos slowly builds up throughout the song before being released in the song’s last five seconds. Building on the song’s production, Charli XCX sings about being overwhelmed and unsure if she should fix a broken relationship, which ultimately leads her to stay still and let the feelings pass. “No real reason, and I can’t escape it,” she sings, “Monolithic, so I’m gonna stay still.”
Track eight, “Seeing Things,” has a slower tempo with soft background vocals, giving the song a lighter feeling than the rest of the album. Throughout the song, Charli XCX questions her ability to perceive what is or isn’t real in her relationship, “I think I’m seeing things that are not there (so not there).” This song stands out on the album due to Charli XCX’s personal style shining through while still capturing the album’s overall theme.
“Altars,” the album’s ninth track, is one of the album’s emotional peaks due to the gothic romance tone, which lures listeners in with rich piano notes, engulfing them in a deep chorus. This song uses religion as a way to describe obsession, worshiping the other person in a relationship, “Won’t keep putting all my faith in you,” Charli XCX sings. “Altars” is a highlight on the album because of its catchy chorus and emotional depth.
The closing track, “Funny Mouth,” like the album’s opening track, “House featuring John Cale”, has the same jittery, unhinged feel, although it starts off with a quieter beat. This song symbolizes breaking away from a toxic relationship and the chaos that comes with it: “If there’s a light, don’t let it go out.” Within the last minute, the beat drops into a mellow calm after the storm, fading into silence with a squeak.
Wuthering Heights is an emotionally intimate album with classic Charli XCX stylistic choices while still being a completely new sound for her. Although this album is undeniably intense and each track is on the shorter side, XCX’s ability to properly execute different genres shows her growth as an artist, earning Wuthering Heights four out of five feathers.
