Charli XCX returns with “House,” a haunting new collaboration with Velvet Underground legend John Cale for Wuthering Heights. Explore the song’s gothic sound, experimental influences, and artistic significance.
Charli XCX and John Cale Deliver a Haunting Collaboration on “House,” a Bold Gothic Left-Turn for the Pop Innovator
Charli XCX has never been afraid to reinvent herself, but her new track “House”—created for Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film adaptation of Wuthering Heights—feels like one of the most dramatic pivots in her career. After the neon-bright chaos and cultural impact of Brat, her latest song plunges into a world that’s dark, brooding, and dripping with gothic atmosphere. She promised fans “something entirely opposite,” and “House” absolutely lives up to that claim.
This unexpected single pairs Charli with John Cale, the legendary co-founder of the Velvet Underground, whose experimental instincts shaped some of the most boundary-pushing rock music of the 20th century. His presence doesn’t just color the song—it transforms it. Featuring a lugubrious spoken-word monologue delivered in his unmistakable baritone, “House” channels the spirit of his early avant-garde work while carving out something new for Charli’s artistic universe.
A Dark Sonic Shift After Brat
For anyone who only knows Charli XCX from the razor-sharp pop sensibilities of Brat, “House” may come as a shock. Gone are the club-ready beats, the hyperpop gloss, and the rapid-fire hooks. In their place are droning strings, gritty distortion, jagged feedback textures, and a thick sense of unease.
Charli has explained that the track draws inspiration from John Cale’s famous description of the Velvet Underground’s sound as “elegant and brutal.” That duality is clear throughout “House.” The arrangement is sparse yet forceful, beautiful yet abrasive, and always teetering between calm introspection and full-blown chaos.
Her vocals at the song’s climax—raw, anguished cries—feel like a tribute to Cale’s history of injecting abrasive noise into rock music. Old-school fans will recall the demonic hisses on “The Black Angel’s Death Song” or the metallic scrapes that punctuate “European Son.” “House” doesn’t imitate those moments, but it carries their spirit forward into Charli’s world.
John Cale’s Monologue: The Ominous Beating Heart of the Song
Although Charli headlines the track, John Cale’s voice dominates most of it. Now 83, his tone has weathered with age, but it retains the same richness that made early Velvet Underground recordings so unforgettable. His monologue begins calmly, almost conversationally, before spiraling into something more ominous and foreboding.
Cale has long been a master of unsettling spoken word—most famously on “The Gift,” where he narrated a grisly Lou Reed story over a pounding rock track. “House” taps into that lineage without feeling nostalgic. Instead, his monologue becomes a gothic narrative presence, one that seems equally at home in the world of Wuthering Heights or a psychological horror film.
A Soundtrack Piece With a Horror Edge
The song’s placement in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights remains a mystery, but thematically, it fits the book’s world of obsession, emotional violence, and doomed love. Listeners could interpret Cale’s lyrical fragments as reflections of Catherine and Heathcliff’s destructive bond, though the track doesn’t tie itself to the plot too literally.
Interestingly, Charli also has a role in Daniel Goldhaber’s upcoming film based on the infamous 1978 shockumentary Faces of Death. With its eerie atmosphere and horror-tinged arrangement, “House” could easily sit on that soundtrack too. In fact, it’s the kind of release that would have surged during the Halloween season, raising the question of whether dropping it in late fall might have missed a commercial sweet spot. Still, something this bold doesn’t need a gimmick.
A Collaboration That Expands Charli’s Artistic Universe
Charli XCX has always embraced collaboration, and working with a musical icon like John Cale is a natural extension of her adventurous spirit. Yet what makes “House” compelling is how well the two artists’ styles blend despite spanning different generations and genres.
Cale’s influence seems to seep into the entire production—whether or not he actually performed all the instrumentation—giving the track a haunted, avant-garde edge. Charli, meanwhile, steps deeper into expressive, cinematic territory, showing a willingness to explore textures and moods far beyond her typical pop frameworks.
The result is a song that feels both like an homage to Cale’s legacy and a portal to new creative terrain for Charli.
A Bold Step Into New Territory
“House” isn’t built for the mainstream charts, and that’s precisely why it stands out. It’s bold, risky, and committed to an aesthetic that many pop artists wouldn’t dare touch. Yet Charli thrives on unpredictability, and this track proves that she can stretch her artistry into darker corners without losing her identity.
It’s powerful. It’s unsettling. It’s deeply atmospheric. And it marks a fascinating moment in Charli XCX’s ongoing evolution.
Whether you’re a longtime Velvet Underground fan, a Charli loyalist, or just someone curious about innovative music that pushes boundaries, “House” is well worth immersing yourself in. It hints at a new era for Charli—one where gothic influences, cinematic ambition, and experimental sounds collide in thrilling ways.
