Back to the Woods

Back to the Woods is a mixtape by American rapper Angel Haze, released independently on September 14, 2015, to SoundCloud. It was produced entirely by Tk Kayembe and supported by three singles: "Impossible," "Babe Ruthless," and "Moonrise Kingdom". They explained it was a personal project that serves as the "bridge" between their first and second album. Several alter-egos are shown on the record: the verbose Angel Haze, the wild Babe Ruthless, and the singer RÖES.Cliff, Aimee (September 17, 2015). "How Angel Haze Turned Tragedy Into Triumph on Back to The Woods". The Fader. Regarding the title, it relates to the only place they could call home was in the woods of Virginia.
== Background ==
Since the split from their label, Haze came out as agender and broke up with model Ireland Baldwin. During the project's creation, Haze was diagnosed with bipolar and dissociative identity disorder,Cerio, Michael (November 24, 2015). "Interview: Angel Haze on Gender, Kanye, and Going Back to the Woods". CBS News. and also overdosed and visited the psych ward. On the day of the album's release, Haze actually begged to their manager to not release the record hours before, stating, "It's a little bit hard to believe the record is out, so I don't really know how to feel."
Haze did an exclusive interview with Billboard. They explained the title sprung from one moment where they were stuck in Washington, D.C., due to a flight being delayed and their ticket being given away. They asked producer Kayembe to accompany them to the woods, showing where they grew up in. Haze continued, "So we went, and there's a video of me there on my Instagram and I'm like, with a friend and on top of this rock I spray-painted and would sleep. And then I was like, wow, for the first time in my life, I realize that I do have a connection here on earth, I'm always looking for an anchor, something that made me feel real. But the only thing I've ever connected with is nature, is being in the woods and being so unafraid of anything. There's nothing out there that scares me, because I understand myself as a part of that nature. That's when it all clicked."Horowitz, Steven J. (September 14, 2015). "Angel Haze Releases New Project 'Back to the Woods': Exclusive". Billboard.
== Singles ==
Title 	Date
"Impossible" 	July 29, 2015
"Babe Ruthless" 	August 12, 2015
"Moonrise Kingdom"	September 7, 2015
== Critical reception ==
Back to the Woods was met with critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. Many felt it was an improvement from Haze's debut Dirty Gold, which was heavily commercialized, now had Haze return to their best form. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 82, based on five reviews, indicating "universal acclaim"."Back to the Woods by Angel Haze" | Metacritic
Vulture contributor Dee Lockett named it to be a "cathartic new mixtape," citing the rapper's personal struggles,Lockett, Dee (September 14, 2015). "Stream Angel Haze's Cathartic New Mixtape, Back to the Woods". Vulture. while Sasha Geffen of Consequence said in comparison to Dirty Gold, Haze "hones in on what's essential for Haze and only Haze."Geffen, Sasha (September 16, 2015). "Album Review: Angel Haze – Back to the Woods". Consequence. Jim Carroll from The Irish Times similarly found the music better without a major label, where Haze's sound was familiar to when they first entered the scene. Carroll added, "Haze is best when taking on the whole shooting gallery, but is also capable of gentleness and vulnerability – facing down and overcoming hurdles and demons."Carroll, Jim (October 9, 2015). "Angel Haze: Back to the Woods | Album Review". The Irish Times. Michael Cragg from The Guardian wrote in agreeance, "eschews the smooth edges of commercial appeal in favor of the emotional rawness that made her early EPs so electrifying."Cragg, Michael (September 20, 2015). "Angel Haze: Back to the Woods Review – A Return to Her Bullish Best". The Guardian.
XXL called it "a breath of fresh air" due to Haze not sticking to the mainstream scene.Madden, Sidney (September 22, 2015). "Angel Haze's 'Back to the Woods' Is a Breath of Fresh Air". XXL. Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX was generally positive, writing, "While far from perfect, this album is an incredible portrait of a soul yearning for love, and a woman desiring to be a leader. At odds with the rules of the game she plays and the life she leads, she successfully digs deeper than ever before and finds the strength to soldier along her artistic path."Dowling, Marcus (September 11, 2015). "Angel Haze - Back to the Woods". HipHopDX. NMEs Phil Hebblethwaite noted the different personas on the project, but also the rawness with tracks like "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Eulogy".Hebblethwaite, Phil (September 23, 2015). "Angel Haze – 'Back to the Woods'". NME. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015.
== Track listing ==
== References ==
Category:Back to the Woods
Category:Mixtapes