Candy Apple Blue - Breakthrough! (Cover Art)

Candy Apple Blue - Breakthrough! (Official Cover Art)

Album Cover Art Concept:

Our album's cover art concept functions as a visual manifesto of the current-day LGBTQ+ experience. The graphic design illustrates a community under global attack. Ascending as guardians from heaven, the pink-triangle spaceships are there to beam us up to safety from the current-day systemic hostility. The spermatozoa swimming around the cloud symbolize the biological imperative that we are, in fact, born this way. The lipstick-gun represents our way of beautifying this ugly world, all while fending off our enemies. Hoyt's facial expression captures the weary resilience of a generation, once more, forced to confront historical cycles of prejudice and animosity. I hope the album's cover art evokes a real sense of urgency, like the propaganda posters of the World War I and World War II eras. My artwork is a call to action, demanding the recognition of our survival, our strength, and our resistance.

Let's continue to fight the good fight! Stay strong, stay positive, and we will "Breakthrough!" 

Sincerely, Carly Emerick

Pre-order on 8/14 here: (Link coming soon.)

Official release date: August 28th, 2026

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟓𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 to Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue

Carly Emerick (Songwriter, Music Producer)

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟓𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 🍬🍎🟦!

𝐴 𝑓𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝐸𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘:

Hello Candy Apple Blue listeners, 👋🏻

Today is a very special day for me. Today I turn 54 years old. In this crazy world, that's a feat in and of itself.

There was once a time in my life when I dreaded celebrating my birthday. Before, I never felt that I had accomplished enough in my life to celebrate "me." And every year, when my birthday would roll around, I would compare myself to other people my age who were more "successful."

It took me a long time to realize how foolish I've been. Every person on this big, beautiful planet has their own unique journey and special story.

Looking back on my life, so far, I've lived the life of 10 people! And it's been quite a ride! It's true what they say, "with age comes wisdom." I appreciate each passing day, now more than ever. I'm grateful for all the small things. It's the peaceful and quiet moments that I treasure most. The simple things like playing frisbee with my dogs, being outside working in my garden, cooking a tasty meal, or composing a new song.

Every day is a gift, and my gratitude runs deep. Gone is the foolish young person who was too blind to see all of their accomplishments. Fortunately, my perception and understanding of the world have greatly evolved. Right here and right now, I'm exactly where I need to be. I feel right on time!

While I still have your attention, I wanted to share an update regarding our forthcoming album, "Breakthrough!" Last week, Hoyt and I held a spectacular photo session to capture the right image for the cover art.

We had an absolute blast during the photo shoot! Although it took me about two hours to get my hair and makeup ready, seeing this final photograph now makes it clear that it was well worth the effort.

I decided to do a cat eye look, which can be tough. Fortunately, I still have a steady hand and a very good liquid black eyeliner that did the trick. We are very excited about how the album art is all coming together. Hoyt and I promise it will be as striking as "Powers Activate!" and "Second Sight."

I look forward to sharing more details about this release with you soon. We're hoping to have "Breakthrough!" ready for release by the end of August. 🤞🏻

Warmest regards,
Carly Emerick
Songwriter and Music Producer