On February 13, 2026, Charli XCX released “Eyes of the World,” a collaboration with Sky Ferreira and the pair’s first joint recording since 2019’s “Cross You Out.” The track appears on Charli’s new soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights and arrives alongside previously shared soundtrack cuts including “Wall Of Sound,” “Chains Of Love,” and the John Cale–featured “House.” The song marks a high-profile creative crossover between two pop figures who have both contributed recent film placements to their catalogs. Early reaction centers on the pairing’s chemistry and the soundtrack’s role in framing Fennell’s gothic reinterpretation of the classic novel.
Key Takeaways
- Release date: “Eyes of the World” published February 13, 2026 as part of the Wuthering Heights soundtrack.
- First collaboration since 2019: Charli XCX and Sky Ferreira last worked together on 2019’s “Cross You Out.”
- Soundtrack rollout: Charli preceded the release with “Wall Of Sound,” “Chains Of Love,” and “House” (featuring John Cale).
- Film tie-in: Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff, with Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, Shazad Latif, and Owen Cooper in supporting roles.
- Artist timelines: Charli’s soundtrack is her first all-new full-length project since 2024’s Brat; Sky’s recent appearances include 2024’s film-featured track “Leash” and a 2022 single “Don’t Forget.”
- Cross-medium strategy: The new track reinforces a trend of pop artists using film soundtracks to reach wider audiences and reframe work for cinematic contexts.
Background
Charli XCX and Sky Ferreira developed reputations in the 2010s as boundary-pushing pop artists who blend mainstream hooks with experimental textures. The two previously collaborated on 2019’s “Cross You Out,” and both have since pursued projects that cross into film and visual media. Charli released Brat in 2024 and later documented her creative approach on Substack; that album’s campaign was later referenced by the mockumentary The Moment. Ferreira’s recording output has been intermittent: after her 2013 LP Night Time, My Time she released singles in 2022 and a 2024 track that received a film placement.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is presented as a stylistic reimagining of the Emily Brontë novel, described by collaborators as a raw, gothic, and provocative take on the material. Producers and the film’s creative team sought a sonic palette that could match the story’s emotional intensity, leading to Charli’s invitation to curate and contribute original songs. The soundtrack strategy follows a broader industry pattern where filmmakers commission contemporary artists to produce distinctive scores and songs that double as promotional assets.
Main Event
“Eyes of the World” debuted on February 13, 2026 as part of the full soundtrack package for Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Charli released the record alongside three other tracks that preview the album’s range: the more expansive “Wall Of Sound,” the intimate “Chains Of Love,” and “House,” a collaboration featuring John Cale. The Sky Ferreira feature is framed in press materials as a reunion and creative alignment, pairing Charli’s production-forward pop sensibility with Ferreira’s darker, mood-driven vocal style.
The soundtrack release coincides with the film’s promotional run; Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi headline as Cathy and Heathcliff respectively, while a supporting ensemble includes Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, Shazad Latif, and Owen Cooper. Industry observers note that deploying high-profile pop names on a soundtrack can amplify both box-office buzz and streaming traction for the music itself. Charli’s own description of the project emphasized persona work and a deliberately Gothic aesthetic that she said demanded songs with specific dramatic weight.
From a production perspective, the collaboration blends Charli’s electronic-pop production techniques with arrangements intended to serve dramatic scenes. Press previews and early listener responses highlight a tension between cinematic atmosphere and pop immediacy, a trade-off that the creative team appears to have embraced. The track’s placement within the film is positioned to underscore emotional turning points, according to promotional synopses accompanying the soundtrack release.
Analysis & Implications
The Charli–Ferreira pairing signals how established pop artists are increasingly leveraging film soundtracks to recalibrate public perception and extend creative narratives. For Charli, who released Brat in 2024 and has since stayed visible through high-profile projects, the soundtrack offers a vehicle to present sustained original material while tying it to a major film release. For Sky Ferreira, who has released music more sporadically in the past decade, the feature supplies renewed visibility and a contextual frame for her vocal persona.
Commercially, soundtracks with named pop contributors can accrue streams independent of radio cycles, as listeners discover tracks through film trailers, placements, and playlists. If the film achieves mainstream attention, the soundtrack tracks often see correlated streaming spikes; conversely, a niche or polarizing film can limit reach. The presence of a veteran like John Cale on another track broadens the soundtrack’s appeal beyond strictly pop audiences, potentially helping placement on genre-diverse editorial playlists.
Artistically, the collaboration suggests a continued blurring between concept albums and film scoring. Charli’s description of the project as a “dive into persona” indicates intent to craft songs that function both as standalone pop works and as narrative devices within Fennell’s adaptation. That duality can enhance an artist’s catalog value — tracks that accrue meaning inside a film can enjoy longer cultural shelf life than standalone singles.
Comparison & Data
| Artist | Last LP (year) | Recent notable single/placement | Last collaboration between them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charli XCX | Brat (2024) | Soundtrack singles (2026) including “House” feat. John Cale | “Cross You Out” (2019) |
| Sky Ferreira | Night Time, My Time (2013) | “Leash” (featured in Babygirl, 2024); “Don’t Forget” (2022) | “Cross You Out” (2019) |
The table above contextualizes each artist’s recent release cadence and situates the new collaboration relative to prior work. Charli’s continuous output since 2024 contrasts with Ferreira’s more sporadic release pattern; both strategies carry trade-offs for momentum and critical perception. The soundtrack format can reduce pressure for radio hits while offering placement-based discovery that charts-based single strategies do not always deliver.
Reactions & Quotes
“a dive into persona, into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, sexual, gothic, British, tortured and full of actual real sentences, punctuation and grammar.”
Charli XCX (Substack)
“For the first time since 2019’s ‘Cross You Out,’ Charli XCX and Sky Ferreira have collaborated on a song together.”
Pitchfork (news report)
Early responses from listeners on social platforms highlighted enthusiasm for the pairing and curiosity about how the song functions within the film. Critics are likely to weigh the soundtrack’s effectiveness both as a standalone album and as a storytelling device for Fennell’s adaptation.
Unconfirmed
- Exact placement of “Eyes of the World” within Wuthering Heights’ final cut: the precise scene usage has not been detailed in official materials.
- Commercial performance: early streaming and chart data for the track were not available at the time of publication.
Bottom Line
“Eyes of the World” reunites two distinct pop voices for a cinematic project that foregrounds atmosphere and dramatic intent over conventional singlecraft. The collaboration arrives at a moment when both artists are using film placements to expand their creative narratives: Charli after a busy 2024–2026 period and Sky as a more intermittent but culturally resonant presence. How the track performs commercially will depend on the film’s reception and playlisting dynamics, but artistically it cements a trend of pop figures treating soundtracks as substantive creative statements.
Readers should watch both the film’s rollout and early streaming patterns to gauge broader impact; for fans, the song is a noteworthy intersection of two artists whose earlier pairing in 2019 left enough imprint to make this reunion feel significant. The collaboration is worth attention for anyone tracking how pop music and contemporary cinema continue to shape one another.