BY THEODORA MILLER
The 2026 “Wuthering Heights” movie is engaging and partially a tour de force, but the movie soundtrack is plagued by vibe commitment-phobia with radio edit, Addison Rae, style pop pollution defanging the edgier and just plain better tracks.
COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS
After penning and performing the defining hit of 2024 in “Brat,” one that almost single-handedly reinstated American mono culture (if only for a moment), brit-born super star Charli XCX was tasked with creating the soundtrack to the recently released “Wuthering Heights” film. While gothic romance acts as a moodboard for the album’s themes, XCX has managed to create an impressive and independent standalone work.
About half of the record’s soundscape is like nothing we’ve heard all year. It’s “euro tech,” but with a string orchestra as well. Some of the background sounds wouldn’t be amiss in a horror film. The lyrics are scary, intense and impossible to ignore. The songs are seductive, as intoxicating as the misty moors of the Wuthering Heights, pulling the listener in until all they want is to know more.
XCX could have created something all consuming, but “Wuthering Heights” isn’t quite that because of the album’s diluting other half. The other half would be any other pop princess’ jewel, but knowing XCX’s potential, it seems boring. It’s well produced, catchy and sounds good, but also sounds like something we’ve heard before.
“Wall of Sound” specifically seems like a lesser artist imitating “Brat,” something to be played in the background while some of the tracks can only take center stage. XCX is trying to fight a sort of sophomore slump after scoring her first real hit album, and it seems as though she can’t decide whether she wishes her perception to be that of a reliable hit maker or an unpredictable true artist, especially knowing that her more innovative songs may alienate mass public interest or radio play. But these inside-the-lines arias muddle the narrative of “Wuthering Heights” that otherwise seems legendary.
A large part of XCX’s appeal is her willingness to push pop to the brink in hopes of creating something truly transcendent. As an artist, she has never prioritized polish over pith–her music, whether to cool club classics or angry confessional ballads, has always been chaotic, if not downright disorganized, but still interesting. To compromise artistry for an audience should not be a compromise any artist, especially one with as much potential as XCX, is willing to make.
With “Wuthering Heights,” XCX has created an escapist and expansive fantasy with a singular voice. However, the time has come for XCX to decide what type of musician she wants to be: one of originality or one of charting hits.
9/10
