The Weeknd just gave anime fans a moment they’ll be talking about for years. During the opening night of his After Hours Til Dawn Asian leg at Belluna Dome in Saitama, Japan on Sept. 19, he premiered an unreleased song called“Tokyo”that samples“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,”the iconic 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion opening theme.
The surprises didn’t stop there. Yoko Takahashi, the original voice behind that legendary theme, joined him onstage and performed both the new song and the original in full. The multimedia segment also featured visuals by Yoko Taro, the creative director behind the NieR video game series, blending Evangelion and NieR: Automata imagery into one massive spectacle.
It’s the second city-themed song debut on this tour, following“Rio”with Anitta back in April, which raises a big question. Tesfaye has hinted that Hurry Up Tomorrow could be his final Weeknd album, yet he keeps rolling out brand new music. Is this a farewell victory lap, or is the“retirement”talk just part of the show? Either way, fans are winning.
What city do you think deserves the next custom Weeknd track?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.