Soundcheck with Ethan

By: Ethan Barrocas

“It’s a knife when you’re finally on top,” Charli says on the remix of “Sympathy is a knife.” Yet, even when she turns away from BRAT, she doesn’t fall; she remains on top, proving her fearlessness through new experimentation that feels unexpected and unmistakably hers.

Disclaimer: I haven’t read Emily Brontë’s novel; this review takes a look at everything the songs have to offer for the movie itself without referencing the book.

Charli xcx’s BRAT wasn’t just an album; it was a cultural titan. Since its release, it’s remained relevant and has influenced countless artists across many genres. Her career reached an apex, quite literally claiming a color and defining the summer of 2024. The culture sat in the palm of her hand. BRAT was a shared language for the new generation, something of cosmic proportions that only happens once in a lifetime. And yet, once a peak on that level is reached, a question inevitably follows: where do you go next?

After the success of BRAT, Charli’s creative juices were empty, but in late 2024, she received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller turned out to be film director Emerald Fennell, who had a proposition for Charli: to work on the soundtrack for Fennell’s adaptation of the classic novel Wuthering Heights. After reading the script, something awoke in Charli. What began as an offer to work on the soundtrack quickly pushed Charli toward something bigger–she made an album.

Some time after this phone call, Charli had begun teasing new music; she called it “very anti-BRAT.” She continued to mention how the instrumentation would even be completely different, switching from thumping bass and electric production styles to a more delicate soundscape. It’s nothing like the club-readiness of the tracks on BRAT.  

Charli remained firmly in the public eye, but talks of new music grew increasingly uncertain. That changed on November 10, 2025, with the release of the track “House,” featuring John Cale. Seeing his name in the credits made one thing clear: she wasn’t playing. The poem he wrote and narrates is gorgeous, seamlessly intertwining intense feelings of entrapment and the story’s emotional ferocity. Themes of existential dread and perfection collide as the house represents an inescapable mental prison. The orchestral arrangements are dramatic and borderline terrifying, the violins snag and shriek loudly before booming guitars crash in as Charli howls, “I think I’m gonna die in this house.”

“House” didn’t stick the landing on first listen; I found it too haunting, too grand. But that excess is what made it so effective. The memes on TikTok made me appreciate it; however, repeated listens changed it from just regular music into a work of art. She’s explored numerous styles before, yet this was something I haven’t seen anyone in the mainstream do before–especially after coming off of something so monumental–making the risk all the more exhilarating. 

Only three short days later, she dropped the second single, “Chains of Love.” Sonically, it’s True Romance at its core, but with a more elevated and mature approach. The True Romance sensibilities are present throughout the record, with xcx herself admitting on X that the album is “100% a sister of True Romance.” The title “Chains of Love” embodies a striking juxtaposition that pairs romance with restraint, suggesting that this all-consuming love isn’t a comfort but rather emotional captivity. The music video plays on this as she fights with dining-room objects, such as knives and tables, that attempt to destabilize her.

“Wall of Sound” is the third and final single, which dropped on January 16th, 2026. Much like the title suggests, it’s restrained and dramatic; the string-based instrumentation is loud, booming over Charli’s vocals, primarily in the chorus. Lyrically, the song explores this internal conflict of desire, with this “wall of sound” as an emotional force you want to turn away from, but you just can’t. It’s the most cinematic out of the three thus far, and it really stuck with me because it was such a daring attempt from Charli that miraculously hits perfectly.

The album was released on Valentine’s Day alongside the film, serving as both a romantic and a tragic counterpart to the story. The runtime is tight, clocking in at just 35 minutes. While the conciseness works, some songs could’ve benefited from more breathing room. Even so, the album is genuinely great. Charli delivers some of the strongest vocals of her career, most notably on tracks like “Altars” and “Eyes of the World.” The lyricism feels sharp and refreshed, revealing a version of Charli that’s matured after a year and a half of partying. On “Always Everywhere,” her line delivery feels almost regal, before the song erupts into a chorus that’s as grand as it is beautifully tragic. Meanwhile, “Dying for You” is on the opposite end of the spectrum as the most BRAT-adjacent, but instead of not caring, she’s yearning. It’s danceable, but the darkness in the lyrics renders it more heartbreaking than something celebratory. 

Now, as much as I enjoyed the album, some parts felt abstract because I wasn’t familiar with the source material. Without having seen the film, I found myself questioning how the music functioned within the story itself. That curiosity ultimately pushed me to see the film for myself. 

Seeing the film clarified everything. Rather than functioning as background music, it actively shapes the emotional heaviness of each scene, intensifying moments of longing and restraint. What felt abstract suddenly became clear to me. “Chains of Love” emerges as the core of the film, used during a montage that follows Cathy as she moves through moments of quiet suppression–unable to be with Heathcliff, yet equally unable to let go of him. The song doesn’t just underscore her longing; it gives it structure and weight.

The short interlude “Open up” allows for moments of vulnerability, primarily in the moment where Cathy admits to Nelly that she loves Heathcliff. The orchestral elements fit the aesthetic beautifully and pair perfectly with the reddish-orange shot of Heathcliff riding away on his horse. 

Where much of the story lies in quiet suffering and restraint, it allows for moments of chaos when the story demands it. “Funny Mouth” has swelling production that coincides with the montage of Heathcliff and Cathy engaging in sexual acts. The distorted vocals are amplified and mixed into the chaos and lust, blending well with the gothic aesthetic. “House” is another great example, as it opens the film. Its theatrics immediately signal to the audience that this story is a romantic tragedy–not a love story.

The film’s credits close on a quieter, more mournful note with “Always Everywhere.” The track plays as Cathy’s presence lingers, transforming absence into something inescapable. Rather than offering comfort, the song suggests how Cathy has permanently marked Heathcliff’s world, her memory painting the landscape. Charli shines on this record, and it’s great to see how she is continuing to be adventurous in exploring new sonic territory and not sticking to certain niches. What I enjoyed most was how unexpected it felt coming from her, given that gothic romanticism seems meant for someone like Florence Welch or Ethel Cain, yet Charli approaches it in a way that is unique but still her own. In the context of Wuthering Heights, this doesn’t seem like a detour or a side project, but a bold reminder that great work can come from taking a risk nobody expected her to take.