Anyone keeping tabs on the shifting trends in the music industry may notice a palpable hot-button issue beginning to take an even stronger hold. Support it or resent it, feminism is an undeniable force to be reckoned with in the realm of any current performing art, especially as young, vocal female artists speak out on issues such as intersectionality, body positivity and equal representation.

Particularly in the music scene, feminism has taken the mainstage megaphone. Singer Hailee Steinfeld’s track “Love Myself” has already topped charts. Twenty-year-old pop sensation Halsey described her latest successful Aug. 28 album as “an angry female record” to fuse.tv. The all-girl band Fifth Harmony’s “Bo$$” proudly cites black female icons Michelle Obama and Oprah as desirable, empowering examples of success.

Those who tuned in to the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30 were treated to a heated exchange onstage between pop singer Miley Cyrus and hip-hop rapper Nicki Minaj, in which Minaj publicly repudiated Cyrus after Cyrus chided Minaj in the press earlier that week for making the VMA nominations “about race.”

Creighton students certainly have plenty to say on the issue.

“‘Ally’ is a hot word right now, but I think…a good ally listens,” Arts & Sciences junior Ashley Weed said. “[At the VMAs,] Miley did what many people of privilege do; she made it all about herself and devalued Nicki’s opinions and thoughts.

“Notice I didn’t say a good ally doesn’t speak,” Weed added. “Allies can and should speak, otherwise it isn’t real, productive discourse.” Arts & Sciences junior Mikey

Cantu agrees.

“I think it’s easy for people in a place of societal privilege to overlook that privilege compared to areas where they are marginalized,” Cantu said. “It’s easy for white women to see how being women can hurt them, but don’t see how being white affects their lives in a positive way.”

On the VMA disagreement, Cantu added, “Miley’s criticism in particular shows how she has internalized the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype, and expects Nicki to be polite in response to racism. This derailing happens all too often, and shows how important it is to realize that feminism doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

While the VMAs spat is an interesting and relevant dispute, the conversation about feminism in the media inarguably extends far outside individual artists. For Arts & Sciences senior Amy Stoeber, there’s a much larger and more unifying ideal at hand.

“We, as women, should be trying to help other women break through such a difficult industry,” Stoeber said. “Music has always been dominated by men, and women have been cast as eye candy. It would be so empowering to see strong women role models helping each other instead of tearing each other down.”

Arts & Sciences senior Krista Bergren had a similar point to add.

“I think it’s hard to be a feminist in the music industry because of that huge competition that takes place between each artist,” Bergren said. “The media pits them against each other and they have a territory to protect; it’s understandable that they would want to defend themselves.

“However, I think that for true feminism to break into the music world, artists should try to stand firm together, defend each other,” she continued. “Whether you sing rap, Christian, punk, hip-hop, are black, white or other, I think that it would be really great to see more artists support each other.”