Taylor Swift is slowly taking over the world.

Credit: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

In two quick years, Taylor Swift has gone from obscurity to chart topper and now to headliner. After opening for the likes of Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban, Swift starts her first headlining tour April 23 in Evansville, Ind. (There are three isolated dates in February and March, including a date at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo where she sold 71,000 tickets-yes, you read that right).

Venues are still to be announced, other than a May 22 date at Los Angeles' Staples Center, so it looks like it will definitely be an arena tour. Tickets in most cities start at a face value of $20.

Swift, whose "Fearless" album has spent eight weeks on top of the Billboard 200, was Nielsen SoundScan's top selling artist of 2008. Her ascent started as pretty much a commercially driven one, but with "Fearless," her second full-length studio album, critics hopped on board, praising her for her songwriting prowess. I interviewed Swift recently and for someone who's only 19, she has an almost uncanny business sense and a commendable work ethic.

The tour, which also features Kellie Pickler (one of Swift's best friends) and Gloriana, is slated to play 52 cities in North America over a six-month span. Swift will also, as previously announced, play 10 dates with Keith Urban on his tour later this year.

Keep checking the Hitfix Entertainment Forecast for specific dates.