Features & Submissions

By: Xander Soetomo A lot of us have tried to buy concert tickets and felt the shock. You click, the page loads, and the cheapest seat is suddenly $200. For a popular artist, it's $500, $1,000, or more. Fans are furious. Artists say they're not the problem. And ticket companies say they're just following the market. But why are concert tickets so expensive now? The answer is that concert tickets are expensive because artists rely on touring for income, demand is sky-high, venu

Teen Gazette is a teen-run literary magazine dedicated to amplifying the voices of young people ages 13-19 through writing and art. Created to give teens a space where their creativity is seen, appreciated, and taken seriously, the magazine is entirely youth-led from reviewing submissions and editing pieces to designing layouts and managing social media. Both Next Wave and Teen Gazette share the same mission to celebrate creativity, foster connection, and build a global commu

Tereko Portis Jr. a is fourteen-year-old multidisciplinary creator from Texas whose work centers on telling authentic stories about young people and the challenges they face. As an actor, musician, and model, he is passionate about creating projects that inspire others while continuing to grow in his own craft. He is currently developing a short film focused on a group of teens navigating personal struggles, and he also writes and produces original music, including his s

Jayden, (also know as "J3") is a 15-year-old filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. He takes on every part of the creative process: filming, directing, operating the camera, editing, and screenwriting. His journey began at just 8 years old, using a school Chromebook and its built-in camera to create his first films. Since then, he has grown his skills and now works with professional cameras, with aspirations to continue advancing and eventually film with even larger, more

Do you know that feeling when you can sense everyone's eyes on you–like you’re the only one in the room being looked at, and you don’t know why? Well, that’s what I felt at that moment: like an outsider. I’m not a bad creature. I’ve made mistakes and will probably make more, just like an egg falling off a wall, or people dropping a bucket of water down a hill. Though, do you see them getting shamed for their mistakes, or looked at like they will butcher the entire town?No. B

Through bleary eyes the house watches, a careful eye darting between its three levels and gently monitoring the front lawns of the house. It watches as the night sky begins to pale, a calm blue taking over as the moon fades from view, the blazing sun blotted at the edges, merging into the pale blue of the sky. Birds chirped from the trees surrounding the house, a late wake-up call as the house began to bustle with noise. The first inhabitant slinks down the stairs, rubbing a

About This Piece It’s inspired by an idea of leaving reality and entering an unknown world. The subject is based off of myself if I...

There’s something special about September. It feels like the ultimate reset button—new classes, new routines, new friends, and new...

To be immortalized by words seems like a faraway dream Others have done it, sure but what quality must I have to deem Myself worthy to be...

The light cylinders use diffusion paper from a salvaged iPad. The smaller blue LED is a custom made circuit board. The can is actually a speaker driver that was salvaged from a nonfunctional speaker. The final uploaded image contains one of my ongoing projects, a weather station using Arduino and newly bought parts. I take apart and recycle electronics, in addition to other electronic work using new parts. It's been something I've been interested in since younger, specificall

I love learning new words they give me an invigorating feeling let me provide every single detail to why my life has its meaning Now, big...

I don’t look down on you because you struggled I’m ashamed that you think I ever would I don’t resent who you are as I see you I resent the idea you had that no one could ever Understand you. Or what you were dealing with You let little me go on about her petty problems And never thought to clue me in on the struggles you felt that I thought were myth Because that version of you with that idea inside your mind decided your best friend couldn’t help you And pushed her away, le

HALF SAILED is a coming-of-age series set at an arts university that features a representation of myself as the main character, a filmmaker, surrounded by a bunch of other quirky creatives (musicians, filmmakers, gamers). Rivalries, romantic relationships, love triangles, friendships and more ensue where the college setting drives a lot of the storylines with film festivals, game nights, Black Student Union events, house parties, charity basketball games and even a Battle of

My favorite kind of music or media in general are the ones I can have fun with, the ones that I can dance or vibe out to, the ones that...

The first wave has officially arrived. These seven incredible teens are shaping the future of art, culture, and more—and this is just the beginning. From music and to writing to photography, each feature represents the talent and passion Next Wave was built to spotlight. Meet the first group of creators making waves, and get inspired to share your own story next. Emelia T, 14, NJ – Photography Emelia never expected to fall in love with the art of photography until she stumbl