Weeknd Premieres Evangelion-Inspired Track Alongside Original Theme Singer
At the opening of his Asia tour in Tokyo, the Weeknd performed a new song that samples the theme from Neon Genesis Evangelion, joined by Yoko Takahashi, the original vocalist. The track's title and release date have not been announced. The performance included visuals by Yoko Taro, blending imagery from the anime and the game NieR:Automata.
The Tokyo concert marked the first stop of the latest leg of the Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour, a run that began in 2022. Since that tour’s start, he has issued two albums: the 2023 soundtrack for the HBO series *The Idol* and 2025’s *Hurry Up Tomorrow*, which he has described as his final release under the Weeknd moniker. That album was accompanied by a film directed by Trey Edward Shults, featuring Barry Keoghan, Jenna Ortega, and Tesfaye himself.
The new song’s visual was crafted by Yoko Taro, known for directing *NieR:Automata*. During the performance, Takahashi delivered a solo rendition of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” while Tesfaye remained at the back of the stage. No title or release date for the sampled track has been announced, though fan-shot footage from the show has circulated online.
This cross-cultural collaboration could expand the Weeknd’s reach into anime fandom, potentially introducing *Neon Genesis Evangelion* to a broader pop audience and vice versa. The pairing of a global pop star with a beloved anime theme may also signal a growing trend of mainstream artists sampling iconic Japanese media, which could influence future genre-blending projects. However, its impact may remain niche, depending on whether the track receives a wide release and how it resonates beyond dedicated fan communities.