On the eve of Valentine’s Day 2026, the historical romantic drama film Wuthering Heights was released alongside its soundtrack of the same name by electro-pop artist Charli xcx. The album came to be after the film’s director, Emerald Fennell, requested a song by Charli for the film, and instead, she suggested making an entire album.
The album marked a stylistic departure from Charli’s previous album, Brat, as she swapped club anthems for gothic-inspired tracks for the film. Upon its release, the album drew comparisons to Charli’s debut album True Romance, with Charli herself calling the soundtrack album “100% a sister” to her debut record on X, formally known as Twitter.
I will be commenting on the album’s production and lyrical content.
The album’s production makes it a very cohesive body of work. Every song on the album has a very gothic romance feel that perfectly fits within the world of Wuthering Heights. The album begins on a haunting note with the first track, “House,” featuring an unsettling monologue from Welsh musician John Cale.
I give this album a 9/10 for its production. I think Charli xcx does some really interesting things with how the songs are structured and flow into one another. The dark-romance feel of the album is very evident in its production and makes it effective as a companion to an equally darkly romantic movie.
Lyrically, Wuthering Heights discusses many of the same themes as the movie it was made for. Love, romance, heartbreak, and relationship tension are all common themes throughout the album.
In “Altars,” a personal favorite of mine, Charli describes being devoted to someone to the point of self-destruction, singing, “As I kneel before your altar, I begin to cry,” and “won’t keep putting all my faith in you.”
For lyrics, I give Wuthering Heights a 7.5/10 because although the lyrics are moving, the focal point of this album rests in its production.
Overall, the album is very solid and excels in worldbuilding throughout its production and lyrics. I give the album a 9/10 because it’s pretty concise, and there isn’t a song I don’t like. My personal favorites from the album are “Altars,” “Dying for You,” and “Always Everywhere.”
Stream Wuthering Heights on Spotify, Apple Music, or on other streaming platforms where available.
