1123

Don’t come to BJ the Chicago Kid looking for anguish. If anything, what makes the Grammy-nominated 1123 stand out—besides BJ’s inexhaustible voice—is just how content it is. The food is good (“Feel the Vibe” featuring Anderson .Paak), the night long (the funky step of “Champagne”), the romance both real and adult as hell (“Close”). Even when he’s in diss mode (“Worryin’ Bout Me”), BJ manages to look on the bright side—if you just went out and made your own money, you wouldn’t have to worry about him. Then there’s “Too Good,” a gospel-tinged ballad positing that nothing scares men more than admitting that their women—and by extension, ordinary life in general—make them happiest of all.