Nick Lachey Focuses On His Music

(CBS)  With his well-publicized personal problems behind him, Nick Lachey is once again focusing on his professional life.

The former 98 Degrees front man has released his second solo effort, a CD called "What's Left of Me." The title track is already burning up the pop charts.

On The Early Show Wednesday, Lachey told co-anchor Julie Chen that throwing himself into his work is helping him move on from his ill-fated marriage to Jessica Simpson.

"I've always been one to kind of rise to the challenge, I think, and for me, this album, this opportunity to kind of invest myself in my work was a real blessing for me. So that's where I'm at, just working away and working hard," Lachey said.

He co-wrote most of the songs on the CD. Aside from the title track, titles include "I Can't Hate You Anymore" and "Resolution."

Was this a source of healing for him? Was it therapeutic?

"Yeah. For me, very much so," Lachey replied. "I think it's important when you go through something like this, or any kind of struggle in your life, to talk through those things in your own head and get those feelings and emotions out and expressed — and for me, writing these songs and doing this album was very much a therapeutic experience."

At this point, his work life is his personal life, Lachey said: "I've been so busy. And really, this is the time for me to invest everything I have into this album and into my career, because those opportunities are present and right there and I want to see all those through."

Lachey held open the possibility he'd collaborate again with 98 Degrees: "We've actually started talking about doing that again," he said. "You want to do that for the right reasons, because it's fun again, and not because, 'Oh, we need to make a record,' or, 'We're under contract to make a record.' You want to do it because you just enjoy singing together. And I think that day is coming.

"Those guys will always be brothers to me. We went through so much together."