I am already regretting to add in to the attention given to her, but folks, we need to talk about Miss Miley. As we’ve seen recently, Miley Cyrus has taken the media by storm. Her recent scandals of explicit themes in songs, music videos of licking sledgehammers, riding wrecking balls while nude, and that abhorrent Video Music Awards performance have all gotten people doing exactly what she wants – keeping her name relevant.

I will admit, I am extremely guilty of talking about her recent behavior. I was completely disgusted after watching her performances and when I think about my nieces and who is present in the spotlight for them to watch and potentially look up to, I just want to shield them from the world. I couldn’t bear seeing my nieces, or any little girl for that matter, imitating the type of behavior that Miley Cyrus has been portraying recently.

Of course, the issue at hand is more than just one “artist” and her mishaps, but being that she’s one of the most controversial at the moment, I think that society can begin with her. I feel we need to weed out “artists” who do not produce art. Of course, art is an extremely subjective category, but can we really consider the repetition of the same line for the entire hook of a song art? Where is the originality? What is the purpose?

There are so many talented artists in the world fighting to be discovered while the talent-lacking “trendsetters” seem to be making all of the money. It is time to bring art back into the mainstream and stop with these cheap so-called catchy trends. There’s no substance, no meaning, and after a few weeks, people will have forgotten about these songs and moved on to the next catchy song.

We need to bring back the timeless sort of art that was created in generations before us, the kind of art that stuck with us for years with meaning, messages and symbolism. Maybe I am beginning to view the music of this decade as my parents viewed the music I was listening to during middle school and high school. Maybe the music that is being made today does mean something to someone, but I cannot ignore the fact that many of today’s artists do not employ a single real instrument in their music nor sing/rap without the use of auto tune. To be quite honest, I do not think that teens of the future will be singing “Wrecking Ball” the way that we sing “Don’t Stop Believin’” today.

Erynn Williams is a sophomore majoring in dance and international studies, her column runs biweekly on Wednesdays.