"Self Control" is in A-flat major. Most producers wouldn't guess that. The song sounds sad. It feels like it should be in a minor key. But Frank wrote it in a bright major key and got it to land as one of the most emotionally devastating tracks of the 2010s.
The mechanism behind that move is jazz harmony. Specifically, a four-chord progression that does something tricky with what it implies and what it actually delivers. Once you see what's happening, you can use the same technique in your own beats.
The Progression
Self Control's verse uses four chords:
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