All My Heroes Are Cornballs

Following the release of his second and breakthrough studio album Veteran in 2018,{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Paul A.|title=Get to Know JPEGMAFIA, the Political Noise Rapper Who's Trolling the Trolls|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/get-to-know-jpegmafia-the-political-noise-rapper-whos-trolling-the-trolls|work=Pitchfork|date=June 8, 2018|accessdate=October 14, 2019|archive-date=August 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828154930/https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/get-to-know-jpegmafia-the-political-noise-rapper-whos-trolling-the-trolls/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Callender|first=Brandon|title=You Think You Know Me: A Conversation With Jpegmafia|url=https://afropunk.com/2019/10/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-interview|work=AfroPunk|date=October 2, 2019|accessdate=October 7, 2019|archive-date=October 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007125150/https://afropunk.com/2019/10/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-interview/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=JPEGMAFIA Is Doing It All Wrong|url=https://www.papermag.com/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-2640309333.html|author=Michael Love Michael|work=Paper|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915205015/https://www.papermag.com/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-2640309333.html|url-status=live}} JPEGMafia started working on his next album. He had recorded 93 or 94 songs, some of which were "compiled" into a record.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8529812/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-interview|title=JPEGMAFIA Is Ready For All Kinds of Criticism|last=Schube|first=Will|magazine=Billboard|date=September 12, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112095614/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8529812/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-interview|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Gottsegen|first=Will|title=Digital Crate Digging: JPEGMAFIA on Anime Soundtracks, Lost Albums, and Rick Rubin|url=https://www.spin.com/2019/09/jpegmafia-interview-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-digital-crate-digging|work=Spin|date=September 30, 2019|accessdate=October 12, 2019|archive-date=October 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012115529/https://www.spin.com/2019/09/jpegmafia-interview-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-digital-crate-digging/|url-status=live}} "Beta Male Strategies" and "Grimy Waifu" were the first songs to be recorded. JPEGMafia had finished recording the tracks by 2018, which would later be mixed and mastered in 2019. The tracks were produced, mixed, and mastered by JPEGMafia in his home studio,{{cite web|title=JPEGMAFIA "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot" Official Lyrics & Meaning|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCHzpEcSSI|work=Genius|publisher=YouTube|date=November 7, 2019|accessdate=November 9, 2019|archive-date=November 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110200302/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCHzpEcSSI|url-status=live}} which he had also done for Veteran.{{cite web|url=https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/veteran|title=Veteran {{!}} JPEGMAFIA|publisher=Bandcamp|date=January 19, 2018|accessdate=November 17, 2019|archive-date=December 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201092849/https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/veteran|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Paul A.|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-veteran|title=JPEGMAFIA: Veteran Album Review|work=Pitchfork|date=January 31, 2018|accessdate=September 15, 2019|quote=Entirely self-produced, Veteran is a remarkable exercise in sound and texture.|archive-date=September 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923143556/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-veteran/|url-status=live}} JPEGMafia constantly uploaded the progress percentage to his Instagram, with it being at 35% in March 2019, and at 52% in May 2019.{{cite web|last=Herwees|first=Tasbeeh|title=Time is ticking for JPEGMAFIA|url=https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/time-is-ticking-for-jpegmafia|work=Crack|accessdate=November 18, 2019|archive-date=June 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617070344/https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/time-is-ticking-for-jpegmafia/|url-status=live}}

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|quote = "With vocals that quickly shift from gentle to vicious, the artist ... raps rapidly like a machine gun, with lyrics, couched in internet speak, that are often scathingly satirical ... over ugly, uneven beats, built around thick waves of distortion and screaming synths."

|source = — Critic Thomas Hobbs, writing for BBC News.{{cite web|last=Hobbs|first=Thomas|title=How today's rappers are resurrecting the spirit of punk|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20191015-how-todays-rappers-are-resurrecting-the-spirit-of-punk|publisher=BBC News|date=October 16, 2019|accessdate=December 17, 2019|archive-date=October 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017005214/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20191015-how-todays-rappers-are-resurrecting-the-spirit-of-punk|url-status=live}}

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All My Heroes Are Cornballs is an avant-garde{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Aaron|title=Jpegmafia's Satirical 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs' Mocks The Pageantry Of Modern-Day Rap|url=https://uproxx.com/music/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review|work=Uproxx|date=September 18, 2019|accessdate=October 14, 2019|archive-date=October 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015001803/https://uproxx.com/music/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review/|url-status=live}} experimental hip hop{{cite web|author=robertsona|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80197/JPEGMAFIA-All-My-Heroes-Are-Cornballs|work=Sputnikmusic|title=Review: JPEGMAFIA – All My Heroes Are Cornballs|accessdate=September 14, 2019|date=September 14, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Breihan|first=Tom|title=JPEGMAFIA 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs' Review: Some Anxious-Ass Rap Music|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2058581/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review/franchises/status-aint-hood|work=Stereogum|date=September 18, 2019|accessdate=September 26, 2019|archive-date=September 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926190225/https://www.stereogum.com/2058581/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review/franchises/status-aint-hood/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Pappis|first=Konstantinos|title=Review Roundup: Charli XCX, Chelsea Wolfe, (Sandy) Alex G, JPEGMAFIA, Alex Cameron|url=https://ourculturemag.com/2019/09/17/review-roundup-charli-xcx-chelsea-wolfe-sandy-alex-g-jpegmafia-alex-cameron|work=Our Culture Mag|date=September 17, 2019|accessdate=November 23, 2019}} and punk rap{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review|title=JPEGMAFIA – 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs' review|last=Hobbs|first=Thomas|website=NME|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=October 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007194759/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Press-Reynolds|first=Kieran|title=JPEGMAFIA Nails the Chaos of Post-Internet Society in 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs'|url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review|work=Highsnobiety|date=September 16, 2019|accessdate=September 16, 2019|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926124447/https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review/|url-status=live}} record. It contains sound collages,{{cite web|title=5 new releases we love: JPEGMAFIA tweaks styles, Highwomen get rootsy, and more|url=https://www.avclub.com/5-new-releases-we-love-jpegmafia-tweaks-styles-highwo-1838080038|work=The A.V. Club|date=September 13, 2019|access-date=September 16, 2019|archive-date=September 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915201447/https://music.avclub.com/5-new-releases-we-love-jpegmafia-tweaks-styles-highwo-1838080038|url-status=live}} influences from ambient music, glitch hop,{{cite web|url=https://www.lyricallemonade.com/p/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-jpegmafia|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs – [JPEGMAFIA]|last=Matraia|first=John|website=Lyrical Lemonade|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926124447/https://www.lyricallemonade.com/p/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-jpegmafia|url-status=live}} noise, industrial, and experimental pop,{{cite web |last=St. Michael |first=Jonathan |date=September 18, 2019 |title=JPEGMAFIA All My Heroes Are Cornballs |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jpegmafia-all_my_heroes_are_cornballs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523104516/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/jpegmafia-all_my_heroes_are_cornballs |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |accessdate=September 18, 2019 |work=Exclaim!}} as well as elements of trap, R&B, and vaporwave.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-mw0003319957|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs – JPEGMAFIA|publisher=AllMusic|last=Thomas|first=Fred|accessdate=November 9, 2019|archive-date=November 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109183243/https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-mw0003319957|url-status=live}} Thomas Hobbs of BBC News opined that JPEGMafia draws "heavily from the DIY ethos of punk rock to create music to be moshed to" and the album could "easily be categorised as punk rock as hip-hop".

The album is loosely structured,{{efn|Despite Hobbs' depiction of the album as "meticulously sequenced", it was also described as a "stitched-together music mess", "deliberately disjointed", "loosely constructed" and lacking cohesion.{{cite web|last=Svetz|first=Josh|title=Review: JPEGMAFIA's "All My Heroes Are Cornballs" Is A Polished Cultural Statement Of Defiance|url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3537/title.review-jpegmafias-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-is-a-polished-cultural-statement-of-defiance|work=HipHopDX|date=September 23, 2019|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924201044/https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3537/title.review-jpegmafias-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-is-a-polished-cultural-statement-of-defiance|url-status=live}}}} marked by constant tonal and vocal shifts,{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review|title=Get comfortable being uncomfortable with JPEGMAFIA's new album|last=Higgins|first=Sam|website=The Line of Best Fit|date=September 12, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=October 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024001438/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review|url-status=live}} erratic and "random" use of samples and noises, and unconventional song structures, which are also present in his previous album Veteran. Most critics have perceived All My Heroes Are Cornballs as more melodic and less abrasive than its predecessor,{{cite web|last=Kim|first=Hans|title=JPEGMAFIA's 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs' Humanizes His Visceral Online Image|url=https://www.popmatters.com/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-cornballs-2640492597.html|work=PopMatters|date=September 23, 2019|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924035524/https://www.popmatters.com/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-cornballs-2640492597.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs|last=Welsh|first=Evan|url=https://spectrumculture.com/2019/09/23/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review|work=Spectrum Culture|date=September 24, 2019|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924212922/https://spectrumculture.com/2019/09/23/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-review/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Radley|first=Blaise|title=JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs (EQT) – Review|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/all_my_heroes_are_cornballs|work=Under the Radar|date=October 7, 2019|accessdate=October 8, 2019|archive-date=October 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007190550/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/all_my_heroes_are_cornballs/|url-status=live}} with JPEGMafia's high tenor{{cite web|last=Green|first=Dylan|title=JPEGMAFIA 'All My Heroes Are Cornballs' 1 Listen Album Review|url=https://djbooth.net/features/2019-09-13-jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review-new-music|work=DJBooth|accessdate=September 14, 2019|date=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913220331/https://djbooth.net/features/2019-09-13-jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-album-review-new-music|url-status=live}} vocals ranging "from a goofy falsetto to a strained scream rap". JPEGMafia called All My Heroes Are Cornballs his "punk musical" and referred to it as vulnerable, introspective, and his most personal album to date;{{cite web |last=Bruce-Jones |first=Henry |date=September 13, 2019 |title=Listen to JPEGMAFIA's new album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs |url=https://www.factmag.com/2019/09/13/listen-to-jpegmafias-new-album-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913203207/https://www.factmag.com/2019/09/13/listen-to-jpegmafias-new-album-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs/ |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |accessdate=September 13, 2019 |website=Fact}}{{cite web|last=Pearce|first=Sheldon|title=Radical rapper Jpegmafia: 'Black people have things to be mad about'|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/04/jpegmafia-i-want-to-create-a-space-for-invisible-black-people|date=October 4, 2019|accessdate=October 12, 2019|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301212518/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/04/jpegmafia-i-want-to-create-a-space-for-invisible-black-people|url-status=live}} he has cited the Beach Boys' Smile, TLC's FanMail, Björk, Cam'ron, Everything but the Girl, Kanye West, and Rick Rubin as influences.F

Thematically, many music journalists have noted the album's approximation with the Internet culture. They described the lyrical style as stream of consciousness,{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|title=JPEGMAFIA – All My Heroes Are Cornballs|last=Roseblade|first=Nick|website=Clash|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921184240/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|url-status=live}} humorous, ironic, and aggressive, catering "to the self-aware and overtly ironic mindset of this age". All My Heroes Are Cornballs also provides progressive political content and "scathing" social commentary. JPEGMafia's "persona is built on opposition"; he raps against prejudice, racism, "posers", his "haters", police brutality, political extremism, right-wing politics, groupthink critics, and online shitposters.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs/|title=JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs Album Review|last=Kearse|first=Stephen|date=September 18, 2019|accessdate=September 18, 2019|work=Pitchfork|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920073700/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Schoop|first=Eli|title=JPEGMAFIA – All My Heroes Are Cornballs {{!}} Music Review|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|work=Tiny Mix Tapes|date=September 16, 2019|accessdate=September 16, 2019|archive-date=September 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190918002958/https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|url-status=live}} The lyrics also reflect on his recent fame{{cite web|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|title=JPEGMAFIA album review: All My Heroes Are Cornballs|last=Inglis|first=Tony|website=The Skinny|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917224608/https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|url-status=live}} and have numerous pop culture references, including wrestling, anime, and video games.{{cite web|last=Dowling|first=Marcus|title=JPEGMAFIA is finally in control of everything that makes him great|work=The Fader|url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/13/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-essay-review|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=October 24, 2019|archive-date=September 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923133812/https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/13/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-essay-review|url-status=live}} Evan Welsh of Spectrum Culture summarized the music as "outwardly political and dissatisfied while also being ironic, cynical and funny". Some songs are performed from the perspective of a woman, using gendered terms like "thot", "slut", and "girl".

The album's opener, "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot", starts with noise of shattering glass and screaming people, and transitions into a "sickly soulful" guitar. It is built around a broken piano riff and ethereal distorted vocal samples, with heavy R&B influence.{{cite web|last=Pearce|first=Sheldon|title="Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot" by JPEGMAFIA Review|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/jpegmafia-jesus-forgive-me-i-am-a-thot|work=Pitchfork|date=August 14, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915080833/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/jpegmafia-jesus-forgive-me-i-am-a-thot/|url-status=live}} JPEGMafia's mellow rap gives place to screaming halfway through its first verse. Using Auto-Tune, he sing-raps the "melodic lines" for the refrain: "I can't feel my face, oh God!/SMH, no ASMR".{{cite web|author=Noah C|title=JPEGMAFIA Gets Pious On "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot"|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jpegmafia-gets-pious-on-jesus-forgive-me-i-am-a-thot-new-song.1984099.html|work=HotNewHipHop|date=August 13, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925135331/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jpegmafia-gets-pious-on-jesus-forgive-me-i-am-a-thot-new-song.1984099.html|url-status=live}} The next track, "Kenan vs. Kel", which title references 1990s sitcom Kenan & Kel, starts off "calm and reflective" over a keyboard riff that transforms into a dusty beat, and finds JPEGMafia "seductively crooning and showing real uncertainty about his newfound fame". The song shifts to a punk rock-inspired instrumental midway through, using a percussive power chord with "gnarly" guitars and forceful drums, over which JPEGMafia screams his lines. The third song, "Beta Male Strategies", is a pop rap-oriented noise rap song with "a manipulated vocal sample, hand claps, rave-ready drums, and a smidge of guitar" which confronts and pokes fun at the alt-right and internet trolls.{{cite web|last=Gottsegen|first=Will|title=Hear JPEGMAFIA's New Single "Beta Male Strategies"|url=https://www.spin.com/2019/09/jpegmafia-beta-male-strategies|work=Spin|date=September 10, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925135337/https://www.spin.com/2019/09/jpegmafia-beta-male-strategies/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Pierre|first=Alphonsus|title=New Rap Song of the Day: JPEGMAFIA "Beta Male Strategies"|url=https://pitchfork.com/levels/jpegmafia-beta-male-strategies-new-song-listen|work=Pitchfork|date=September 10, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925135338/https://pitchfork.com/levels/jpegmafia-beta-male-strategies-new-song-listen/|url-status=live}} The instrumental "JPEGMafia Type Beat" is an Atari Teenage Riot homage, which critics interpreted as ridiculing "type beats" in contemporary hip hop production and his comparisons to Blackie and, more frequently, Death Grips.

"Grimy Waifu" is a mellow guitar-backed downtempo ode to a gun disguised as a love song, inspired by his time spent in the military; it is followed by "PTSD", an anxious song backed by murky synths and breakbeats "channeling his military past". "Rap Grow Old & Die x No Child Left Behind" references Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson to mock whitewashing in the music industry, and also features him singing about "the unfair cycle of society". The title track is a glitchy song with elements of pop rap, which features JPEGMafia singing and reflecting on the themes of the album. The outro contains a recording of his friend ordering a bacon smokehouse meal from Wendy's, which he described as "really random" and was almost cut from the record.{{cite web|title=James Blake Is Disappointed|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rr7egsFWuI|date=September 8, 2019|accessdate=October 24, 2019|publisher=YouTube|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925025603/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rr7egsFWuI|url-status=live}} The next track, "BBW", meaning "Black Brian Wilson", is a "brief, simple" classic hip hop-style track about JPEGMafia's mortality and place in the industry.

The tenth track, "Prone!", has "ugly", "demented" synths and a precise, aggressive vocal performance from JPEGMafia, in which he threatens "to kick his enemies to the floor"; particularly, on "One shot turn Steve Bannon into Steve Hawking", Pitchfork noted resistance to white nationalism. Its spacey ambient-like outro includes a cover of Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go". JPEGMafia has stated the song was made "completely digitally", with the intention of making "a punk song with no instruments". The interlude "Lifes Hard, Here's a Song about Sorrel" references the hibiscus tea (called "sorrel" in Jamaica), considered an homage to his Jamaican heritage.

"Thot Tactics" is melodic and features a "sticky" hook. "Free the Frail", which was considered to be cut from the album,{{cite web|last=Rossignol|first=Derrick|title=Jpegmafia Shares A Video For 'Free The Frail,' One Of His New Album's Most Vulnerable Songs|url=https://uproxx.com/music/jpegmafia-free-the-frail-video|work=Uproxx|date=November 11, 2019|accessdate=November 15, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115215409/https://uproxx.com/music/jpegmafia-free-the-frail-video/|url-status=live}} contains guest vocals from Helena Deland, with bright synths, mellow piano, and "such a cool chord change", as Deland exclaims later in the song. On the chorus, JPEGMafia sings "Don't rely on the strength of my image", serving as a mantra. Critics highlighted the song's vulnerability and "honest account of anxiety". "Post Verified Lifestyle" is structured in three sections. It has an ambient beat with ad-libs and clipped vocals, with the last part being composed of looping vocal samples. In the song, JPEGMafia delivers a braggadocio with "a hint of claustrophobia", comparing himself to MF Doom, Beanie Sigel, the Beatles, and 98 Degrees. "BasicBitchTearGas" is a short, dissonant skit-like pop song with "glitchy backing, stuttering acoustic guitar and manipulated vocals", covering "No Scrubs", by TLC. "DOTS Freestyle Remix" is a remix of JPEGMafia's performance in an episode of The Cave, a YouTube series by Kenny Beats in which he and his guests create a track on-camera.{{cite web|last=Renshaw|first=David|title=Watch JPEGMAFIA play his new album for Kenny Beats|url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/08/19/jpegmafia-kenny-beats-new-music|work=The Fader|date=August 19, 2019|accessdate=October 15, 2019|archive-date=November 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105062604/https://www.thefader.com/2019/08/19/jpegmafia-kenny-beats-new-music|url-status=live}} The boastful track features guest vocals from Buzzy Lee and Abdu Ali, a prominent sound of fire (from campfires which he had recorded in Hawaii), a "cutesy" synth tune, and a vaporwave outro. "Buttermilk Jesus Type Beat" is an instrumental built around "lucid piano and spacious drum programming". The album closes with "Papi I Missed U", a "thesis statement" addressing racism, gun violence in the United States, as well as JPEGMafia's fame and criticism of his work.

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|quote = "There's nothing going on here but disappointment, okay? That's what's coming next. I don't know what that's going to sound like specifically, but when the disappointment comes, it comes. ... It's just really whack shit. You know, when you get your hopes up for something, and it doesn't fall through? I just want to recreate that feeling."

|source = — {{small|JPEGMafia on the album, in an interview with the Recording Academy.{{cite web|last=Velez|first=Jennifer|title=JPEGMAFIA On 'Veteran,' "Call Me Maybe" & How He Wants To Disappoint You|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/jpegmafia-veteran-call-me-maybe-how-he-wants-disappoint-you|publisher=The Recording Academy|date=July 2, 2019|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204110758/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/jpegmafia-veteran-call-me-maybe-how-he-wants-disappoint-you|url-status=live}}}}

|align = right

|width = 30%

|border = 1px

|fontsize = 88%

}}

Prior to the album's release, JPEGMafia constantly labeled his new project as a "disappointment".{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/08/28/jpegmafia-new-album-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-trailer|title=JPEGMAFIA announces new album All My Heroes Are Cornballs|last=Maicki|first=Salvatore|website=The Fader|date=August 28, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914073323/https://www.thefader.com/2019/08/28/jpegmafia-new-album-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-trailer|url-status=live}} He promoted the album through a series of videos uploaded to his YouTube channel, featuring listening sessions, discussions, and mocked negative reactions from artists James Blake, Kenny Beats, Buzzy Lee, DJ Dahi, Channel Tres, and Jeff Tweedy.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2056376/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-trailer/video/|title=Watch A Trailer For JPEGMAFIA's New Album All My Heroes Are Cornballs Feat. Jeff Tweedy, James Blake, & More|last=DeVille|first=Chris|website=Stereogum|date=August 28, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913214520/https://www.stereogum.com/2056376/jpegmafia-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs-trailer/video/|url-status=live}} Post-release, JPEGMafia added two reaction videos to his "disappointed" playlist on YouTube; one featuring Denzel Curry,{{cite web|title=Denzel Curry Is Satisfied|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3B-wTgsGYs|date=September 15, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|publisher=YouTube|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925025334/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3B-wTgsGYs|url-status=live}} alternately titled "Satisfied", and another with Slowthai and Kwes Darko.{{cite web|title=Slowthai & Kwes Darko Are Disappointed|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78tEvw1UdAg|date=September 22, 2019|accessdate=September 25, 2019|publisher=YouTube|archive-date=September 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923222643/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78tEvw1UdAg&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}

On August 13, 2019, JPEGMafia released album's lead single, "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot".{{Cite web |title=Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot, by JPEGMAFIA |url=https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/track/jesus-forgive-me-i-am-a-thot |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=JPEGMAFIA |language=en}} On August 28, he officially announced that his third album would be titled All My Heroes Are Cornballs, to be released on September 13, 2019. On September 10, he released the second single, "Beta Male Strategies".{{cite web|title=JPEGMAFIA on Apple Music|url=https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jpegmafia/1130088441|publisher=Apple Music|accessdate=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920132407/https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jpegmafia/1130088441|url-status=live}} Two days later, a listening party for the album's launch took place in Baltimore, Maryland.{{cite web|title=Baltimore: JPEGMAFIA Album Launch|url=https://boilerroom.tv/session/baltimore-jpegmafia-album-launch|publisher=Boiler Room|accessdate=September 27, 2019|archive-date=September 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927202826/https://boilerroom.tv/session/baltimore-jpegmafia-album-launch|url-status=live}}

The artwork was designed by Alec Marchant, JPEGMafia's photographer and close friend. All My Heroes Are Cornballs was supported by the JPEGMafia Type Tour, across Canada and the US from October 14 to November 11, 2019.{{cite web|last=Klein|first=Jeremy|title=JPEGMAFIA hikes five hours to film video for "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot," shares tour dates|work=Tiny Mix Tapes|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/jpegmafia-shares-new-single-announces-tour-dates|date=August 14, 2019|accessdate=September 15, 2019|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814223237/https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/jpegmafia-shares-new-single-announces-tour-dates|url-status=live}} The second part of the tour took place in Europe from February 20 to July 6, 2020.{{cite web|title=JPEGMAFIA|url=https://www.jpegmafia.net/tour|accessdate=May 25, 2020|archive-date=May 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527044102/https://www.jpegmafia.net/tour|url-status=live}}{{Primary source inline|date=May 2020}} On November 11, 2019, JPEGMafia released a music video for the song "Free the Frail".

On February 29, 2020, JPEGMafia announced a "Mystery USB" in the style of PlayStation 2 Memory Cards,{{cite web |title=JPEGMAFIA on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/darkskinmanson/status/1233787709682077698 |website=Twitter |accessdate=31 May 2020 |quote=????? |archive-date=March 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301062426/https://twitter.com/darkskinmanson/status/1233787709682077698 |url-status=live }} limited to 100 copies for sale on his website.{{cite web |title=AMHAC Mystery USB (/100) |url=https://www.jpegmafia.net/products/663052-amhac-mystery-usb-100 |website=jpegmafia.net |accessdate=31 May 2020 |archive-date=April 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405073303/http://www.jpegmafia.net/products/663052-amhac-mystery-usb-100 |url-status=live }} After shipping being delayed due to COVID-19 concerns,{{cite web |title=COVID-19 Response |url=http://www.secondcityprints.com/covid/ |website=Second City Prints |accessdate=31 May 2020 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531022435/http://www.secondcityprints.com/covid/ |url-status=live }} the USB was revealed to be a deluxe edition of the album featuring bonus tracks and original mixes of songs that were left off the initial release. The USB also contained episodes of JPEGMafia's "Disappointed" series that were never uploaded to YouTube with Flume and Injury Reserve.

{{Album ratings

| ADM = 8.1/10{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/10079/JPEGMAFIA-All-My-Heroes-Are-Cornballs.aspx|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA reviews|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|accessdate=September 18, 2019|archive-date=September 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921235812/http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/10079/JPEGMAFIA-All-My-Heroes-Are-Cornballs.aspx|url-status=live}}

| MC = 85/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs/jpegmafia|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921080251/https://www.metacritic.com/music/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs/jpegmafia|url-status=live}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2score = 8/10

| rev3 = Exclaim!

| rev3score = 9/10

| rev4 = HipHopDX

| rev4score = 4.5/5

| rev5 = NME

| rev5score = {{rating|5|5}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6score = 7.6/10

| rev7 = Q

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev8 = The Skinny

| rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}

| rev9 = Sputnikmusic

| rev9score = 5/5

| rev10 = Tiny Mix Tapes

| rev10score = {{Rating|4|5|full=TMT full.svg|half=TMT half.svg|empty=TMT empty.svg|rating=mark}}

}}

All My Heroes Are Cornballs was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. Some considered the album to be an improvement over Veteran. On review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave All My Heroes Are Cornballs 8.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

In a review for Pitchfork, Stephen Kearse said JPEGMafia comes across as "bubbly and inventive", a provocateur, an "impish writer" and an "athletic vocalist". Nick Roseblade of Clash opined that the album's lyrics "[feel] very stream of consciousness full of political commentary, the concerns of living in American 2019,{{sic}} whilst being engaging, humorous, and informative", and that the key to the album is its "juxtaposition of sounds, and textures". For The Line of Best Fit, Sam Higgins wrote that the album is "so questionable, unique and conflicted in its elements, that on first glance, it's uninviting and dissonant", but with an "undeniable quality" upon more concentrated listens.

Tony Inglis of The Skinny was somewhat critical of the lyrical content, but complimented JPEGMafia's "ability to tap into the zeitgeist" and his skills as a producer. Alexander Robertson (robertsona) of Sputnikmusic thought that the album is a "monumental display of musical talent" and has the "signs of a true classic", commending its "daring attitude and commitment to odd sonic luxuries". Thomas Hobbs of NME characterized the record as his most accomplished, unexpected, and "meticulously sequenced", "where anger frequently gives way to tranquillity". HipHopDX{{'}}s Josh Svetz presented the album as "challenging and uncompromising" and "a manifesto for the misunderstood", complimenting JPEGMafia's "insane production and brilliant engineering".

Eli Schoop of Tiny Mix Tapes said that All My Heroes Are Cornballs is one of the best produced albums of the year, and likened the album to an electronic manifesto and an auditory guerrilla warfare. He compared it to James Ferraro's Far Side Virtual (2011), reasoning that both are inspired by "internet anxiety", as JPEGMafia's "memetic technology and kinetic mindset" resemble Ferraro's "dread of automation and late-stage capitalism web osteria". This was echoed in Kieran Press-Reynolds's review for Highsnobiety, where he said JPEGMafia "nails the chaos of post-internet society", and that his writing is reminiscent to Virginia Woolf, "who felt overwhelmed by modernity and tried to describe it in the best way they could". Press-Reynolds also described the album as a "better hodgepodge of empowered tumult" than his previous record Veteran. For Q, Kate Solomon gave it a less enthusiastic review, saying that "JPEGMAFIA's flashes of brilliance are obscured by a bloated tracklist, but they're worth digging out".{{Cite magazine |last=Solomon |first=Kate |title=JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs |magazine=Q |edition=November 2019 |issue=404 |page=111}}

{{Track listing

|headline=All My Heroes Are Cornballs – {{nobold|Standard Edition}}

| all_writing = Barrington Hendricks, except where noted

| title1 = Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot

| length1 = 2:36

| title2 = Kenan vs. Kel

| length2 = 3:01

| title3 = Beta Male Strategies

| length3 = 3:18

| title4 = JPEGMafia Type Beat

| length4 = 0:54

| title5 = Grimy Waifu

| length5 = 2:55

| title6 = PTSD

| length6 = 2:28

| title7 = Rap Grow Old & Die x No Child Left Behind

| length7 = 2:47

| title8 = All My Heroes Are Cornballs

| length8 = 3:23

| title9 = BBW

| length9 = 1:36

| title10 = Prone!

| length10 = 2:42

| title11 = Life's Hard, Here's a Song about Sorrel

| length11 = 1:01

| title12 = Thot Tactics

| length12 = 2:50

| title13 = Free the Frail

| note13 = featuring Helena Deland

| writer13 = {{hlist|Barrington Hendricks|Helena Deland}}

| length13 = 3:30

| title14 = Post Verified Lifestyle

| length14 = 3:35

| title15 = BasicBitchTearGas

| length15 = 1:15

| writer15 = {{hlist|Kandi Burruss{{ref|a|[a]}}|Kevin Briggs{{ref|a|[a]}}|Tameka Cottle{{ref|a|[a]}}|Lisa Lopes{{ref|a|[a]}}|Hendricks}}

| title16 = DOTS Freestyle Remix

| note16 = featuring Buzzy Lee and Abdu Ali

| length16 = 2:07

| title17 = Buttermilk Jesus Type Beat

| length17 = 1:09

| title18 = Papi I Missed U

| length18 = 4:02

| total_length = 45:17

}}

{{Track listing

|headline = All My Heroes Are Cornballs – {{nobold|USB Director's Cut edition}}

|title1 = Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot

|length1 = 3:04

|note1 = USB Mix

|title2 = Kenan vs. Kel

|length2 = 3:01

|note2 =

|title3 = Beta Male Strategies

|length3 = 3:31

|note3 =

|title4 = Grimy Waifu

|length4 = 3:50

|note4 = USB Mix

|title5 = PTSD

|length5 = 2:28

|note5 =

|title6 = Rap Grow Old & Die x No Child Left Behind

|length6 = 2:48

|note6 =

|title7 = All My Heroes Are Cornballs

|length7 = 3:24

|note7 =

|title8 = BBW x The Lord Pt. 3

|length8 = 2:14

|note8 =

|title9 = Prone!

|length9 = 2:06

|note9 =

|title10 = A Beauty

|length10= 0:37

|note10 =

|title11 = Life's Hard, Here's A Song About Sorrel

|length11= 1:04

|note11 =

|title12 = Thot Tactics

|length12= 2:51

|note12 =

|title13 = Free the Frail

|length13= 3:03

|note13 =

|title14 = Quicksand

|length14= 0:29

|note14 =

|title15 = Pre Verified Lifestyle

|length15= 1:59

|note15 =

|title16 = Post Verified Lifestyle

|length16= 2:28

|note16 =

|title17 = **** in the Pit

|length17= 3:24

|note17 =

|title18 = BasicBitchTearGas

|length18= 2:38

|note18 = USB Mix

|title19 = DOTS Freestyle

|length19= 2:08

|note19 =

|title20 = Buttermilk Jesus Type Beat

|length20= 1:09

|note20 =

|title21 = Papi I Missed U

|length21= 4:02

|note21 =

|title22 = SUB / Untitled (Country Song)

|length22= 5:00

|note22 =

| total_length = 57:07

}}

{{Track listing

|headline=All My Heroes Are Cornballs – {{nobold|2025 Bandcamp Bonus Track}}

| title19 = touched by an angel

| length19 = 2:00

| total_length = 47:17

}}

Notes{{cite web|url=https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs {{!}} JPEGMAFIA|publisher=Bandcamp|date=September 13, 2019|accessdate=September 13, 2019|archive-date=September 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915002336/https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=All My Heroes Are Cornballs – JPEGMAFIA|url=https://www.jpegmafia.net/products/651740-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|accessdate=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925024404/https://www.jpegmafia.net/products/651740-all-my-heroes-are-cornballs|website=www.jpegmafia.net|archive-date=September 25, 2019}}

• "JPEGMafia Type Beat", "Prone!", "DOTS Freestyle Remix" and "Buttermilk Jesus Type Beat" are stylized in all caps.
• On the Bandcamp and vinyl releases, "Papi I Missed U" is listed as "🥺".
• On the vinyl release, "Grimy Waifu" is listed as "Grimey Waifu", "BasicBitchTearGas" is listed as "BabyBeamerBoy", and "DOTS Freestyle Remix" is listed as "DOTS Freestyle Remix x Make Me Cry".
• On the Bandcamp release and the limited USB edition, an updated version of "Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot" contains an extended outro, changing its length to 3:03.
• On the limited USB edition, "BasicBitchTearGas" has been extended, changing its length to 2:40.

Sample credits

• "Prone!" contains an uncredited interpolation of "No Letting Go", by Wayne Wonder.
• {{sup|{{note|a|[a]}}}} "BasicBitchTearGas" contains an interpolation of "No Scrubs", by TLC.

Credits adapted from Bandcamp and JPEGMafia's website.

• JPEGMafia – vocals, production, mixing, mastering {{small|(all tracks)}}, engineering, all instruments {{small|(tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12–18)}}, keyboards {{small|(track 5)}}, bass {{small|(track 7)}}, drums {{small|(tracks 7, 10)}}, guitar {{small|(track 5)}}, drum programming {{small|(track 5)}}
• Buzzy Lee – flute {{small|(track 5)}}, featured vocals {{small|(track 16)}}
• Vegyn – co-production, guitar, piano, additional vocals {{small|(track 7)}}, vinyl design
• Young Emoji – additional vocals {{small|(tracks 9, 10, 12–14)}}
• Refined Sugar – additional vocals {{small|(track 9)}}
• Helena Deland – featured vocals {{small|(track 13)}}
• Abdu Ali – featured vocals {{small|(track 16)}}
• Alec Marchant – artwork design, photography

• Isha Dipika Walia – vinyl design
• George Edge – assistant vinyl design

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

{{reflist|group="‡"}}

{{JPEGMafia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2019 albums

Category:Albums recorded in a home studio

Category:JPEGMafia albums

Category:Mass media about Internet culture

Category:Punk rap albums

Category:Punk rock albums by American artists

Category:Albums produced by Vegyn

Category:Albums produced by JPEGMafia