October 10, 2009

A lot can happen in a year. Last October, Taylor Swift was one of the acts that played near Soldier Field as part of the Chicago Country Music Festival. On Friday, she was headlining the first of two sold-out nights at the Allstate Arena.

During that 12-month span, Swift released her sophomore album, "Fearless," and saw her music cross over to the pop charts. She rode a wave of media attention that transformed her from country star to pop-culture phenomenon. Then last month, an awards show incident made Swift a household name.