Plastic Box by JADE

By Korie Houston

“I’m trying to be cool, but it really fucking hurts.”

On the heels of my 30th birthday, my so-called “twink death,” as some might say, I’ve been reflecting. Thinking about the hopes, dreams, fears, and heartbreaks that brought me here. It’s funny looking back, realizing how certain things were never right for me. That feeling of relief when you’re far enough in the rearview to admit: yeah, I’m better off now.

The truth is, I’ve never been the kind of person who seeks out lessons in love and life. Most of the time, I wish I could’ve learned them without the heartache. But sometimes, the things that hurt are the same things that shape you.

“It’s irrational and impossible.”

JADE, formerly of Little Mix, created an anthem that became my song of the summer. Plastic Box hits deep because it gets it: we all carry a past. We all have scars. Some heal, but they never fully disappear. As I get older, I protect my peace more than I chase intensity. I don’t throw myself into the deep end like I used to. But still, I challenge myself to take risks with people. I remind myself: Are you really taking a chance if you’re always coloring inside the lines?

“Can I have your heart in a plastic box? Never used, fully clean, untouched.”

In a perfect world, we’d meet people whose pasts don’t stop them from letting us in. But it doesn’t work that way. I can’t speak for everyone I’ve loved or connected with, but I know this: I’m just as afraid of getting hurt as I am of feeling everything. It’s a weird contradiction. Two halves that don’t quite make a whole.

This song reminds me that everyone carries their own history. Their own trail of heartbreak. In JADE’s case, it’s about making space for new love without being haunted by the old. It’s not fair or healthy to compare yourself to someone’s past. You’re not living in it. You’re here, now. For me, this song is a reminder that I can’t rewrite what’s behind me, but I also can’t let fear of the future hold me hostage.

“Are you sure you feel the same way?
 ’Cause it took me months, it only took her a day.”

You can’t become someone you’re not. You can change the outside—habits, looks, routines—but your core? That’s yours. And if something or someone isn’t meant for you, that’s okay. Still, insecurity creeps in. It blinds you. Makes you question yourself.

It’s okay to admit when we’re our own worst enemy. The hard part is learning how to stop sabotaging ourselves. I’m still young, I know that. But I also know it might take a lifetime to fully let my heart lead the way. To stop letting fear speak louder than love. Because love? Love will never be in mint condition. But if you’re lucky, you’ll find it in rare form.

“And I wanna burn all your history.”

This lyric hits a version of me that used to exist. The one who would’ve said: yeah, I’d erase it all if I could. I’d take back every time I let my heart be touched, torn, tested. But now? I wouldn’t be who I am without those moments. Without those scars.

Believe me, I don’t need any more life lessons detonating in my face. But for those of you who really know me, you know this: when I fall, I fall hard. And when I hit the ocean floor, I don’t rush to come up for air. But I’ve never let myself stay there long enough to drown. I refuse to become so jaded (no pun intended) that I can’t find my way back into the light.

“Like I’m the only one you’ve ever loved.”

We have the capacity to love endlessly in this life. Someone else’s past doesn’t have to overshadow our present. Their history isn’t competition. It’s a roadmap to understanding. A guide for how to love them better.

There’s real beauty in falling in love with yourself. In letting people see you fully, mess and all. And in allowing yourself to be loved by those who actually deserve you.

A plastic box is a metaphor for keeping your heart safe, pristine, untouched. But what’s the point of a heart no one’s allowed to hold?

So, whether it was a moment in time or a part of your present, how do you want to define your future?