Beloved singer-songwriter MATÉO (also known as Matthew Ong) has just announced, exclusively through Billboard Philippines, his highly anticipated next single, titled “Bato Sa Buhangin.”
Scheduled for release this July 25, 2025, the forthcoming track is one that’s deeply personal to the “Lalim” hitmaker, despite being a remake of the classic OPM hit released by Cinderella in 1976. “It has been and always will be my favorite OPM song,” he says of the song in an official press statement. “I never tried to play around with it. The song already had the soul in it. It’s such an iconic song that it carries you, and you never try to carry it.”
The upcoming track also marks his first release as a signed artist under South Korean entertainment label ABYSS Company, which serves as the home to renowned Korean musicians like Sunmi, Sandara Park, and MeloMance. His signing marks the beginning of an era for both him and the company, as they expand their operations to Philippine shores. “It’s an honor to be part of a label that supports such talented artists I’ve long admired,” he shares. “Abyss has a strong vision, and I’m proud to represent Filipino music alongside a team that values authenticity and creativity — not just in Korea, but around the world.”
Despite having worked in the A&R side of the music industry for some time, MATÉO found unexpected success with the release of his debut single “Lalim” from September 2024. Even with little to no promotion, the track found its way to millions of listeners nationwide — even garnering a co-sign from BINI‘s Colet, Janine Teñoso, and Eliza Maturan before he even made his public debut. A few months later, he released his next set of singles, “Pinipili” and “Tungo,” which eventually shot him up to attain an impressive amount of 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
As we anticipate the release of “Bato Sa Buhangin” later this month, listen to MATÉO’s most recent single “Tungo” below: