Jeremih Essentials

Before his sensual falsetto lit up his debut single, 2009's sly, enduring “Birthday Sex,” Chicago's Jeremih Felton was a multi-instrumentalist with little singing experience. In a matter of years, though, he became the closest heir to R. Kelly, the Windy City's king of R&B, thanks to a way with melody that feels like magic. He's grown more daring in his solo work since, drifting toward silky, minimalist R&B, and he's become the go-to hook guy for breezy, late-night club anthems.