Duffy - the UK’s biggest selling artist of the year - is to kick off her autumn/winter tour in Belfast.

The Welsh pop star with the soulful, Sixties-influenced voice, will play St George’s Market on Tuesday, November 25, as part of a 12-date tour.

The 24-year-old singer will perform material from her number one album Rockferry, the UK’s biggest selling album of 2008 so far.

The tour will round off an exceptional year, which saw her going from a virtual unknown to one of the biggest female acts on the music scene.

At the end of 2007 Duffy, along with fellow female singers Adele and Gabrielle Cilmi, was described as one of the “New Amy’s”— a reference to the new breed of singers to rival Amy Winehouse.

In January she came second in the annual BBC News website poll of industry experts’ Sounds of 2008, for acts to emerge in the coming year.

After releasing a debut limited edition single Rockferry, she then released the follow-up Mercy which went straight to number one on download sales in February this year.

On March 3, she released her debut album Rockferry, the same day that she played the Limelight in Belfast.

She had been booked to play a more intimate show at Auntie Annie’s but growing interest prompted the promoters to move the show to a bigger venue.

Rockferry went to number one in the album charts and, as of July 9, it had sold over one million copies, making it the best-selling album in the UK this year.

The track Mercy won her the 2008 Song of the Year at the Mojo Awards. She was also nominated for Album of the Year and Breakthrough Act.

Several of her songs have been featured in television shows such as ER, Smallville and Grey’s Anatomy, as well as the soundtrack album for Sex and the City.

Duffy is also due to play at this year’s Electric Picnic Festival at Stradbally, Co Laois, which takes place on the last weekend of August.

Tickets to see Duffy in Belfast on Tuesday, November 25, priced £25, go on general release on Friday, August 22, from Ticketmaster or by calling 0870 2434455.