The Weeknd Debuts New Song Sampling 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Theme in Japan

Summary

The Weeknd premiered an unreleased track sampling the 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' theme song during his After Hours Til Dawn tour in Japan

Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi joined the artist on stage while NieR creator Yoko Taro directed the multimedia visuals

The live debut marks the second city-linked track unveiled on the tour following his previous performance in Rio de Janeiro

The Weeknd has premiered an unreleased track sampling the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion theme song during the opening night of the Asian leg of his After Hours Til Dawn tour.The singer—real name Abel Tesfaye—performed the song live alongside original recording artist Yoko Takahashi at the Belluna Dome in Saitama, Japan.

Dubbed “Tokyo,” the track incorporates elements of Takahashi’s 1995 J-pop anthem “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” famous as the opening theme to Neon Genesis Evangelion. During the performance, Takahashi sang the track in full as Tesfaye joined her on stage. The segment featured multimedia visuals directed by Yoko Taro, the creative director behind the NieR video game series, incorporating imagery from both Evangelion and 2017’s NieR: Automata. Tesfaye credited the production on social media as “Presented by YOKO TARO ft. YOKO TAKAHASHI.”

The performance marks the second unreleased, location-inspired song Tesfaye has debuted on tour, following “Rio” featuring Anitta. While Tesfaye previously suggested retiring The Weeknd moniker after his 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow, he recently confirmed he will continue creating and touring indefinitely.

The After Hours Til Dawn tour continues across Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, and Hong Kong before concluding in Kuala Lumpur on November 4, 2026.

Presented by YOKO TARO ft. YOKO TAKAHASHI pic.twitter.com/a8wUBHV7k6

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) September 19, 2026