The Weeknd debuts unreleased 'Tokyo' with Yoko Takahashi at Japan tour opener
The Weeknd gave an unreleased song dubbed "Tokyo" its first live performance on Sept. 19 at Belluna Dome in Saitama, near Tokyo.
The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, performed it alongside Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi. The concert opened the Asian leg of his After Hours Til Dawn tour, according to Billboard.
The new song incorporates elements of "A Cruel Angel's Thesis." That is the 1995 J-pop single Takahashi recorded as the opening theme to Neon Genesis Evangelion, the song heard over the opening credits of each episode of the 1995 anime series, according to Stereogum. In Saitama, its bright, driving melody ran through Tesfaye's new arrangement, with both singers on stage together.
The segment then flipped. Takahashi stayed in the spotlight to perform "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" in full. Tesfaye stepped to the rear of the stage and watched. The crowd heard the new piece and the original back to back.
The staging leaned into animation and games. Accompanying visuals were directed by Yoko Taro, the creative director behind the NieR video game series. The screens drew on imagery from Neon Genesis Evangelion and 2017's NieR: Automata, the game entry in that series.
Tesfaye gave little away about what comes next. He credited the piece on social media only as "Presented by YOKO TARO ft. YOKO TAKAHASHI." He shared no full title. He shared no release date.
It follows a pattern from earlier this year. In April, Tesfaye premiered another unreleased track dubbed "Rio" with Brazilian star Anitta during a stop in Rio de Janeiro. Both working titles match the cities where they were first played. Neither has been confirmed for release.
What makes this stand out is the company on stage. Takahashi originated one of Japan's best-known anime themes, and Taro brought two screen worlds with him. For fans, this means two city-named songs are now in the live set, with no word yet on when either will arrive on streaming.
