My cat recently started meowing in the mornings

https://imgur.com/a/tPXEiO3

Hi there, as you can tell by the title, my cat started meowing in the mornings like quite early around 5am and while I do realize cats are crepuscular and are quite active during the mornings, he never really did this before.

For the past week, he's been doing it nonstop pretty much. He has his food and water bowl outside and toys laying around too. The thing is that he keeps going to the stairs and meowing at the basement door like he really wants to go down there. I don't really let him though because it's an unfinished basement and I don't think it's safe for him. Yes I have let him down once and the next thing you know he was all dusty trying to hunt for bugs

But even when he's upstairs, he'll sometimes just randomly start meowing in the morning. Like when I do give him attention, he stops maybe for a secona and starts meowing a couple minutes later.

Also, before anyone asks, yes he is neutered he recently got neutered a month ago.

If anyone has any advice on why he might be doing this and any tips it'd be appreciated!!