How do musical artists actually get successful?

The obvious answer is, well, "they make good music"

But I know there's also a lot of good artists that aren't very popular, and a lot of popular artists that aren't very good, so it obviously isn't as cut and dry as "make good music and people will listen to it"

With something like acting, I get the gist of how it works. You either need to have connections that can help you stand out somehow to get ahead for the big roles, or you need to start in small films and get discovered if you have the raw talent (and a bit of luck)

But I don't really get how music works in the new day and age. Anyone can make music and publish it on Spotify, but it's not like I ever hear people talking about someone they listen to with <10k monthly listeners

I think a good example of what I'm talking about is Chappell Roan, looking on Google Trends, her search volume was practically non-existent in 2023, then exploded in early 2024. I assume her Spotify monthly listeners looks the same way... but what I don't understand is, how exactly did this happen, and why? Did she have to get someone in the industry to invest money in her, like some sort of marketing campaign? I just don't understand how she was making music for like 3-4 years where nobody cared, and then all of a sudden she's one of the most popular artists on the planet

Can someone that has a good understanding of this industry explain what usually goes on behind the scenes from where someone starts making music on their own (ie small indie artist) to being a massive success?