User:AnemoneProjectors/Boxed Up Broken Heart

"Boxed Up Broken Heart" is a song written by Gwyneth Herbert and performed in the BBC soap opera EastEnders by actress Jasmine Armfield, in character, as part of a storyline for her character, Bex Fowler.

Background
The song was written by Herbert specifically for its use in EastEnders. Armfield heard that EastEnders producers wanted her character to perform an original song in the show, and she had a meeting with Herbert to talk about Bex's character and feelings, and Herbert wrote them into the song. Armfield felt nervous about the song but said she was passionate about it. Armfield said that Herbert made her "feel comfortable" during the process and opined that the song was "perfect" for her character as it reflected how Bex had been feeling in the series. Jonathan Hughes from Radio Times said the song is about "teenage angst" and inspired by "boy trouble". Herbert watched Armfield performing the song in character during filming.

In EastEnders
In the storyline, Bex writes the song after splitting from her boyfriend, Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi). Armfield said that Bex has "so much going on in her life", and has a lot of emotions that she cannot put into words, so writes a song. Armfield said that every lyric has a meaning and Bex wants to "get through to Shakil", and it is a message for him. Part of the song reflects how Bex feels following the betrayal of her friend Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper), who shared a naked photo of Shakil from Bex's phone, and is about Bex wondering how Shakil could blame her for it when it is something she would never do.

Bex videos herself performing the song in the episode shown in the United Kingdom on 14 February 2017, and Shakil watches it on his mobile phone the in the following episode, shown two days later, telling his mother, Carmel Kazemi (Bonnie Langford), that it has gone viral. After the episode, the full video was released online. The video recorded by Bex is referenced in a March 2017 episode during a storyline in which Keegan Baker (Zack Morris) posts a pornographic video online with Bex's head imposed on the body of the model, when Keegan says "I took her head from that music thing she put up with her singing that stupid song and thought it would look better on someone else's body." The song was used in EastEnders again in the episode shown on 13 July 2017, when Bex performs it live at a school talent showcase.

Reception
Justin Harp of Digital Spy said that "Armfield helped channel all of the teen's turmoil from her split from Shakil and bullying drama into the song", which he called "heartbreaking" and a "powerful ballad". Lauren Morgan from Digital Spy said that Bex had "channelled her heartbreak and angst" into the song, which was "very catchy" and "a corker".