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Imagine seeing the Dalai Lama at a festival…

In some super important music news, the Dalai Lama has marked his 85th birthday by dropping his first ever album. The new project, named Inner World, is an album of mantras and buddhist teachings, and is being released in the hope of providing some tranquility to the world, particularly in the wake of the global racial tensions stemming from the death of George Floyd.

“Music has the potential to transcend our differences,” he said in a statement. “It can return us to our true nature of warm-heartedness. The very purpose of my life is to serve as much as I can. Music can help people in a way that I can’t.”

The album features 11 songs of ambient, soothing music, all recorded by New Zealand musician Junelle Kunin & co-produced with her husband Abraham Kunin, who served as composer. The album’s been in the works since 2015, when Kunin first approached the Dalai Lama about releasing a collection of mantras set to music.

But this isn’t the Dalai Lama’s first step into music, with the Nobel Peace Price winner appearing on stage at Glastonbury in 2015 to give a speech about compassion and mutual understanding. Regardless, it’s super dope he’s dropping an album, no doubt it’ll be put to much use considering the crazy year we’ve all had. Check out his full birthday message below.