Atlanta punk-pop band The Paradox will release its six-track Proceed with Caution EP on 2 October, followed by its first national headline tour from 14 October. The release marks an expansion of the group’s pop-punk sound, drawing more visibly on funk, Motown, R&B and hip-hop, and supports its aim of challenging expectations around modern rock and reclaiming its Black musical roots.

The EP follows 2025’s NSFW and includes the June single “Good for Me” and new track “I Kinda Like That”, which the band says was recorded live without a click track. The Paradox became the first all-Black band to top Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart only six months earlier with “Get the Message”; singer Eric Dangerfield said the achievement reflects progress, while also highlighting how long Black artists were excluded from comparable recognition in rock.