The Weeknd drops new song with Yoko Takahashi
The Weeknd just delivered one of the most visually stunning and culturally resonant performances of his career, culminating the final chapter of his After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour in Tokyo. More than just a concert, the show became a high-octane collision of pop music and deep Japanese aesthetics, blending the neon glow of modern stardom with the complex mythology of video game and cinematic artistry.
On Saturday, September 19th, the opening spectacle featured a collaboration with Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi, who joined the Weeknd to perform her iconic 1995 anthem, A Cruel Angel’s Thesis. But the visual narrative was even more intricate. The stage was drenched in imagery drawn from both Neon Genesis Evangelion and NieR:Automata, creating a mesmerizing visual tapestry that perfectly captured the theme of the performance, which was aptly titled “Tokyo.”
This two-night run at the Belluna Dome marked the first Asian leg of the record-breaking stadium tour and the artist’s first return to Japan in seven years. The spectacle extended far beyond the music, incorporating a substantial slate of Japanese creative talent into the production. Center stage was a roughly 40-foot sculpture by artist Hajime Sorayama, a golden, laser-eyed masterpiece hand-carved from polystyrene foam, which was twice the size of previous tour features.
The artistic collaboration deepened with contributions from contemporary artists. Japanese creator Tetsuya Nakamura provided masks worn by the Weeknd onstage, expanding on a partnership that began in 2023, alongside Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME, who designed special stage looks. This immersion into Japanese design gave the tour an unparalleled layer of sophisticated visual storytelling.
The arrival itself was an elaborate rollout. The After Hours Til Dawn pop-up took over the three floors of Universal Music Store Harajuku, offering exclusive merchandise, tour exhibits, and special music releases, including a unique collection designed by Yoshitaka Amano. The city itself became part of the spectacle, with a Seibu Railway train wrapped in tour imagery passing through Tokyo, and the Tokyo Tower illuminated in the signature green of Kiss Land.
The momentum behind the tour is staggering. The recent Asia run represents the final leg of a journey that has become one of the largest tours in history. The 17-date Asia leg is the grand finale, following a European and U.K. segment that grossed over $345 million and drew more than 2.3 million fans. Across all shows, the After Hours Til Dawn tour has surpassed $1 billion in global gross, cementing its status as the highest-grossing tour ever led by a male solo artist.
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