Singer/songwriter Elan Lea is hoping for his greatest score yet as he prepares to take a swing at the South African market, with his upcoming album  “Conversations Over Time,” led by the single “Take the World” which launched on airwaves earlier this month.

The new album follows on the success of “My Only Excuse,” which included tracks written by Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, INXS) and Diane Warren (LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Toni Braxton), as well as hit “Right Away,” produced by Matt Ward and Dean Gillard (Usher, Taylor Swift, The Saturdays, Lemar), with remixes by Digital Dog and J-Staxx, which reached the top 20 on the U.K. Commercial Club Pop Chart.

“Launching in South Africa is like landing on the moon for first time. It’s definitely uncharted territory for me,” Elan says. “I’m arriving with a clean slate. No one knows me, which gives the music an opportunity to speak for itself.”

For his upcoming 2012 album, “Conversations Over Time,” Elan is relying upon his own voice, as the primary composer: “I looked for inspiration not only in my own life, but also from friends’ and the people around me: Conversations is about heartache, hope and life’s challenges. These are a far cry from the simple love songs I wrote as a kid.”

Elan collaborated on a track and sings it with the legendary Bee Gee Robin Gibb. “ I stayed in his home with his family, and he taught me more than a thing or two about writing. Robin is my music mentor” Elan says. “There aren’t too many people out there who have the privilege of singing and writing a duet with a Bee Gee. It’s an honor I will cherish forever.”

 The single “Take the World,” meanwhile, offers an ironic lyrical twist, suggesting that no matter what you attempt to project, people see things their own way, particularly in dealing with life and what it has to throw at you. Tracks “Broken Man,” “Butterfly Best Friend” and “Different Stories” all render deceptively sunny piano-driven melodies, with dark lyrical overtones and edgy beats. “Like Picasso had his ‘blue phase,’ this was my dark phase; which I hope ironically inspires others to smile rather than cry.”

And yet, Elan could not possibly feel more upbeat about the road ahead as he mounts his introduction to the South African marketplace. He says, “I believe that if I deliver the right product with the right attitude, anything is possible. But no matter what happens, to have the chance to take this journey is one of the greatest gifts ever.”