From neon-soaked dancefloors to windswept Gothic moors, Charli xcx’s artistic pivot couldn’t be more stark.
“House,” her collaboration with Velvet Underground legend John Cale, arrives as the first glimpse into her upcoming Wuthering Heights soundtrack, and it’s a breathtaking departure from the Brat era’s hyperpop chaos.
The track opens with Cale delivering a gravelly spoken-word piece exploring themes of imprisonment and eternal captivity.
Orchestral elements clash violently with distorted electronic textures once the beat arrives, conjuring the kind of avant-garde tension Cale pioneered decades ago with The Velvet Underground’s most experimental work.
Charli’s performance marks a complete transformation. Her vocals transform into distorted waves of sound as she repeatedly declares her impending demise within the house, creating a mantra that feels both desperate and resigned.
Mitch Ryan’s video shows Cale wandering through a labyrinthine house while Charli delivers intense, dramatic movements.
Striking visual motifs include molten wax being poured onto skin, ravens in flight, and slow-motion bird imagery.
Barren winter trees and flowing dark hair create Gothic tableaux throughout, while the video draws visual parallels between Charli’s movements and various creatures.
The collaboration was inspired by Cale’s artistic philosophy demanding both elegance and brutality in equal measure.
This xcx cinephile era is here and it’s packed. She’s currently attached to eight film projects including The Moment for A24, The Gallerist with Natalie Portman, and a horror collaboration with director Takashi Miike.
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