Brat singer Charli XCX gets dark and romantic in Wuthering Heights soundtrack

SINGAPORE – In this monthly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music released in the past month.

Stream This Song: Charli XCX – Chains Of Love

Like English author Emily Bronte’s 1847 literary classic Wuthering Heights, Charli XCX’s single Chains Of Love is dark, romantic and theatrical.

It is one of the songs the British pop singer wrote and recorded for the upcoming soundtrack of British writer-director Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of the beloved tale of obsessive love and revenge.

Both the Gothic erotic psychological drama, starring Australian actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, and soundtrack album will be released in February 2026.

Chains Of Love can also be heard in

Wuthering Heights’ trailer

, which has clocked over 21 million views since it dropped on Nov 14.

Charli XCX’s dramatic delivery, backed by synthesizers, is very much aligned with the story’s themes.

The tune’s cinematic slow burn is a marked departure from the sharp, hyperpop energy of her landmark 2024 album Brat, signalling a new era for the artiste.

Chains Of Love is the second song she has released from the soundtrack album. The first, House, is a moody and abrasive track with Welsh experimental music veteran John Cale, which steers even further away from her club music aesthetics.

Ace Album: Rosalia – Lux

Spanish left-field pop singer Rosalia’s fourth album Lux is easily the most ambitious work of her career.

A mix of classical and avant-pop, and recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, it is divided into four movements and explores themes such as feminine mystique and spirituality.

The Grammy-winning native Spanish and Catalan speaker took language and cultural lessons in order to authentically sing in 13 different languages, including Arabic, Mandarin, German and Japanese.

Both lush and artistically challenging, tracks like Berghain – which features Icelandic icon Bjork and American experimental musician Yves Tumor – merge electronic music experimentation with orchestral textures.

Reliquia showcases Rosalia’s expanded vocal range, from intimate whispers to soaring operatic notes, while De Madruga combines the flamenco rhythms of her earlier albums with choral music elements.

On the US Billboard charts, she made history as the first artiste to have a release debut on five different charts after Lux took pole position on the Top Latin Albums, Top Latin Pop Albums, Classical Albums, Classical Crossover and World Albums charts.

Must-see MV: Babymonster – Psycho

Babymonster’s Psycho music video underscores the South Korean girl group’s potential as YG Entertainment’s next big global K-pop act.

It has all the hallmarks of a big-budget production: dynamic set changes, sharp camerawork and modern fashion styling.

The dark glamour, mysterious masked dancers and swordplay, reminiscent of the Kill Bill movies (2003 and 2004), visually represent the song’s theme of emotional turmoil.

Each set, from a crime scene and junkyard in flames to a red-tinged cityscape and claustrophobic corridors, is like the setting of a Hollywood thriller.

The hip-hop and rock-tinged dance-pop song is from Babymonster’s recently released second EP, We Go Up, which topped South Korea’s Circle Album Chart. The EP was also their first to hit No.1 on Japan’s Oricon Daily Album Chart.

Chart Champ: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Everyone’s A Star!

When Everyone’s A Star! topped the album charts in their home country, Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds Of Summer made history as the first act to have their first six albums land at No. 1 there.

The record has been doing well in charts worldwide too. It went to No. 1 on the British charts, knocking American pop star Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl off the top spot. It is the band’s third chart-topper there.

The batch of songs presents an artistic leap for the quartet, made up of singer-rhythm guitarist Luke Hemmings, lead guitarist Michael Clifford, bassist Calum Hood and drummer Ashton Irwin.

Rather than rely on the pop-punk formula of the past, the tunes incorporate electronic music textures, nuanced production and vulnerability in the lyrics.

There is a refreshing sense of self-awareness, most notably in the song Boyband, in which they take ownership of a term that had once been used in a derogatory way against them.

And the upbeat title track, an all-out pop banger, feels like an acknowledgement of the euphoric highs and crushing lows that come with long-term commercial success and a loyal fan base.

Singapore Scene: lullaboy – Finger Hearts

One of the singers representing the current generation of local music on the first day of the Sing60 Music Festival at Fort Canning Park on Dec 6 and 7 is Singapore-based lullaboy.

On Nov 21, he released his latest single Finger Hearts, a pop-R&B track that exemplifies the sincere, warm and heartfelt qualities of his previous discography.

He is best known for regional hit Someone Like U (2021), a track that has clocked close to 45 million streams on Spotify alone. The singer-songwriter – whose real name is Bernard Dinata – has been building buzz around his upcoming album Hotels & Heartbreaks, which will include Finger Hearts.

It will feature 12 songs, each of which was written in hotels in various cities while he was on tour, and reflect his recent experiences and emotions. His 2024 Asian tour included stops in Jakarta, Manila and Taipei, and he was the first Singapore act to perform at regional music festival Summer Sonic Bangkok 2025.

Hotels & Heartbreaks will also include Live With It, his first duet with a female artiste, Indonesian singer-songwriter Stephanie Poetri, who is best known for the 2019 global hit I Love You 3000.