Teaming up with music legend made Charli XCX 'cry'

Singer Charli XCX has said she was brought to tears after collaborating with legendary former Velvet Underground Welsh musician John Cale.

House is the first song released from her contribution to the soundtrack for Emerald Fennel's film adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel Wuthering Heights, which is set to be released next year.

The track will feature a spoken word section from Cale, which includes a screamed chorus of "I think I'm gonna die in this house".

The 33-year-old said in an Instagram post that she was a "huge fan" of the 1960s Lou Reed-led band, and that she was inspired by a documentary in which Cale described their song-writing process as "elegant and brutal".

The singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, said she decided to contact Cale for his opinion on her songs that had been "deeply inspired" by his work.

"We got connected and wow... that voice - so elegant, so brutal.

"I sent him some songs and we started talking specifically about House."

The pair spoke about recording a poem and, soon after, Cale sent a recording for the song.

"It was...well, it made me cry," said Charli XCX.

The music video for the new single shows the singer in a house in a forest, as Cale stands over her reciting his lines.

She said it was exciting to escape into "something entirely new" after the success of her culture-shaping sixth album Brat, which was voted best new release of 2024.

"When I think of Wuthering Heights, I think of many things," said the pop star.

I think of passion and pain. I think of the mud and the cold. I think of determination and grit."

Cale, 83, was a founding member of The Velvet Underground along with singer and guitarist Reed, drummer Moe Tucker, guitarist Sterling Morrison and singer Nico.

They have been described as the band that made an art of being obscure and who inspired the likes of David Bowie, Nirvana and the Arctic Monkeys.

He featured on their first album, The Velvet Underground And Nico, and second, titled White Light/White Heat before going solo.

The band's best known songs with Cale include Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting For The Man and I'll Be Your Mirror.

Cale went on to release 19 studio albums as a solo artist, including Songs For Drella, which saw him reunite with Reed.

Charli XCX has soared to new levels of fame in the last year as Brat was officially voted Collins Dictionary word of the year.

Her best known songs include Guess, Von Dutch and I Love It, recorded with Swedish duo Icona Pop.

Fennell's much-anticipated upcoming film is a psychological thriller, starring Barbie actress Margot Robbie and Saltburn star Jacob Elordi.

The director has said she wants to convey the "primal" feeling she had when she first read the book as a teenager.

But some have criticised the movie for its casting, pointing out that neither of the lead actors look like the characters described in the novel.

Wuthering Heights will be released in cinemas on 14 February 2026.