Taylor Swift going to Australia in extended tour

Country singer Taylor Swift has proven she has nothing to fear from touring after performing to sold-out crowds, so the 19 year-old said on Thursday she will extend her 'Fearless Tour' into 2010.

Swift, whose recordings made her the top-selling US artist of 2008, will tour Australia in February, playing five shows there before returning to North America in March.

"I'm so excited to take the 'Fearless Tour' back out on the road again in 2010," Swift said in a statement. "This year's tour has been so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined."

Swift's announcement came as she closes out the 2009 leg of her tour in the US.

The 2010 tour will begin February 4 in Brisbane, before moving to Sydney and other Australian cities and returning to the United States to play stops including Dallas, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, with the tour ending June 2 in Washington, DC 

So far, the Pennsylvania-born Swift is scheduled to play more than 40 dates next year.

Her 'Fearless' album was released last year by Nashville-based Big Machine Records and distributed by Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group.

'Fearless" the album has sold more than 1.5mn copies in 2009, after Swift became the biggest selling artist of 2008 with total sales of 4 million copies, including her 2006 self-titled debut.

Swift, who had hit songs with 'Love Story' and 'You Belong with Me,' saw the public rally around her last month after rapper Kanye West grabbed the microphone from her at an MTV awards show and told stunned viewers that her music video award should have gone to R&B singer Beyonce. 

West apologised publicly several times after the incident, and Swift said she forgave him.