The Weeknd Debuts New Song Sampling Neon Genesis Evangelion Theme

At his Asia tour opener in Tokyo last night, the Weeknd debuted a new song sampling the theme from one of the most beloved anime of all time: Neon Genesis Evangelion. He performed the track with Yoko Takahashi, the Japanese singer behind the series’ opening theme “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” A title and official release date for the new song remains TBA, but you can check out footage from the show below.

Abel Tesfaye paired the performance with a visual by Yoko Taro, which incorporated imagery from the writer-director’s 2007 video game NieR:Automata and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Tesfaye also took a step back at one point, letting Takahashi perform “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” solo while he vibed along at the back of the stage.

The September 19 show at Tokyo’s Belluna Dome kicked off the latest leg in Tesfaye’s years-long After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour, which commenced all the way back in 2022. He’s released two new albums since then: a 2023 soundtrack to the widely panned HBO series The Idol, and 2025’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, which he billed as his final release as the Weeknd. The latter also came accompanied by a movie directed by Trey Edward Shults and starring Barry Keoghan, Jenna Ortega, and Tesfaye himself.

Hattie Lindert is an associate staff writer at Pitchfork. A former editor at Resident Advisor, she has written for Rolling Stone, The FACE and The A.V. Club, among others. She’s based in New York, and born and raised in Vermont. ... Read More