Switched on Pop Charli XCX’s "Wuthering Heights" fever dream
Feb 24, 2026
A deep dive into Charli XCX’s full soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s surreal Wuthering Heights reimagining. They trace cinematic brams, hyperpop strings, and Wall of Sound flourishes across tracks. Historic score comparisons pop up, from 1939 orchestral cues to Kate Bush and Sakamoto’s takes. The conversation maps how operatic, gothic pop channels obsessive, turbulent romance.
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Charlie XCX Built A Complete Fever Dream Soundtrack
- Charlie XCX treated Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights as full world building rather than a single-song commission.
- She wrote and recorded an entire album mid-Brat tour to make a standalone soundtrack that also functions as a film score.
Close Mic'd Sul Ponticello Strings Create Gothic Texture
- The record leans on strings played sul ponticello for an eerie, harmonics-rich timbre that feels both elegant and brutal.
- Producer Finn Keen and Charlie intentionally close-mic'd a small string ensemble to capture hair-of-the-bow roughness and texture.
John Cale's Narration Anchors Velvet Underground Influence
- John Cale narrates the album opener and his gritty voice aligns with the abrasive strings, linking Velvet Underground aesthetics to the soundtrack.
- Charlie cites a Todd Haynes doc where Cale said strings must be both elegant and brutal, which guided the album's sound.
