The Weeknd used Rio de Janeiro as the launchpad for another new era moment, debuting an unreleased collaboration titled “RIO” with Anitta during the Brazilian stop of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour. The surprise performance arrived as part of a sprawling 40-song stadium set, transforming an already massive night into a fresh headline for a tour that continues to evolve nearly four years after its original launch.
The debut came just one day after Abel Tesfaye hinted in Mexico City that new music was imminent. “I’ve been cooking for you, just wait and see what I got for you,” he told fans. By the time the production reached Brazil, that promise materialized through “RIO,” a new track that appears to deepen his creative relationship with Anitta.
Their chemistry was already commercially tested. “São Paulo,” released on October 30, 2024, served as the pair’s first official collaboration and became a key crossover moment during the Hurry Up Tomorrow campaign. Produced by The Weeknd alongside Mike Dean, the track blended Brazilian energy with his darker electronic framework, eventually peaking at No. 22 in Canada and reaching the Billboard Hot 100.
Rio’s concert itself was structured as a full-career retrospective. Across 40 songs, The Weeknd moved from “The Hills” and “Call Out My Name” to “Save Your Tears” and newer material, preserving the maximalist framework that has helped After Hours Til Dawn surpass $1.004 billion in revenue across 153 shows. Since first opening on July 14, 2022, in Philadelphia, the tour has consistently reshaped itself, integrating music from After Hours, Dawn FM, and Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Photo: Wagner Meier/Getty Images for Live Nation)
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