People.com: Nick Lachey, who celebrated his 34th birthday with girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo in Las Vegas on Wednesday, says that 2007 has been a year of “rebuilding.”

“I don’t think you can get much worse than the year before,” he tells Extra. “[The year] 2007 has been a rebuilding year for me … music, studio, learning things about who I am as a man.”

The singer famously broke up with ex-wife Jessica Simpson in November 2005 – and their divorce was finalized in December 2006.

But Lachey is not lamenting that he went through hard times. “Any time you learn and grow it’s an exciting time,” he says.

Plus, Lachey has been able to draw on past heartbreak for his career. “As an artist it’s our responsibility to draw on whatever we are going through,” he says. “There have been some great albums that come out of heartbreaking times … my last album.”

Now he says he’s working on a new album and is “excited to get that out in 2008.”