After her more morose turn on her 2009 release, Rated R, [artist id="1940303"]Rihanna[/artist] has promised that her follow-up disc will be [article id="1632401"]"more energetic."[/article] And hitmaking producer and songwriter [artist id="1874916"]Sean Garrett[/artist] is one of the people helping to spruce up Rihanna's edgier sound.

"I got a record on Rihanna's new album," Garrett tells Rapup.com. "She's got some surprises. The record I gave her was very, very positive, very big. It's a f---ing smash."

The track, he says, is "a humongous radio record," more in tune with her previous releases like "Umbrella" and even her latest single, [article id="1632688"]"Rude Boy."[/article] "It's just so infectious. It's about getting past any drama and just being happy to be alive," he explained. "It's an encouraging record. It feels great, and it's got great tempo. I made sure that it was bulletproof.

"It should be a single unless something crazy happens," he continued. "It's hot as f---. I think it's a record that's gonna stay on the radio for a long time."

Garrett, like some fans and critics, was surprised about the dark material on Rated R. -- and not in a good way. "Whenever I think of Rihanna, it makes me happy. To be honest, I wasn't really that excited about hearing her in a dark zone," he said. "I love Rihanna for being that girl. ... She's like the lil' fantasy chick -- nice brown skin, beautiful woman with a Caribbean swagger that's ridiculous."

Are you looking forward to Rihanna's next album? Tell us in the comments below!