Selena Gomez cancels Australia tour to 'spend time on myself'

LOS ANGELES - Pop singer Selena Gomez on Thursday cancelled her upcoming Australian concert tour, saying she needs to take the time to put herself before work.

The 21-year-old former Disney star was to perform five concerts in Australia, beginning on Feb. 1, 2014, in Perth and concluding on Feb. 8 in Melbourne.

"My fans are so important to me and I would never want to disappoint them," the "Come & Get It" singer said in a statement. "But it has become clear to me and those close to me that after many years of putting my work first, I need to spend some time on myself in order to be the best person I can be."

Texas-born Gomez, who has also branched into serious film roles, is set to tour Asia in January.