A 1993 Cantopop recording anchors The Weeknd’s tribute to Hong Kong, connecting his stadium tour with the city’s music and cinema heritage.
The Weeknd places Faye Wong’s original Cantonese vocals at the centre of Hong Kong (feat. 王菲季候風), drawing on her 1993 hit 季候風 (Monsoon). First performed at Kai Tak Stadium on October 24, the track arrives as his four-night Hong Kong run ends, with a regional release across East and Southeast Asia.
The sample gives the tribute a direct connection to the city’s recorded history. Wong’s voice and the authentic music form the foundation of a release rooted in The Weeknd’s longstanding interest in Cantopop and the films of Wong Kar-wai.
That connection extends to the artwork, which uses a Hong Kong photograph from Christopher Doyle’s personal collection. Doyle was the cinematographer on Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express, starring Wong alongside Tony Leung, linking the single’s musical source and visual identity through the same creative world.
The live debut also appears to have sent listeners back to Wong’s catalogue. According to Chinese media reports cited in the release announcement, Monsoon topped the rising charts on QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music, reached No. 3 on Apple Music China on 28 October and entered Spotify Hong Kong’s Top 10. The announcement also reports 18 million views and over one million likes for The Weeknd’s Instagram performance clip.
For a release introduced on a stadium stage, its most interesting consequence is a return to the source recording: the sample creates a route into a catalogue some listeners may be encountering for the first time.
Hong Kong accompanies the closing dates of the After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour, which concludes in Kuala Lumpur on 4 and 5 November. According to the release announcement, the tour has grossed over $1 billion and sold more than 7.5 million tickets since 2022, making it the highest-grossing tour by a male solo artist.
Remaining dates:
Wed Nov 4 – Kuala Lumpur – TM Stadium National
Thu Nov 5 – Kuala Lumpur – TM Stadium National
For more information, visit theweeknd.com/tour