PERRY: 'WINEHOUSE AND ALLEN INTRODUCED AMERICA TO GREAT MUSIC.'

AMY WINEHOUSE and LILY ALLEN are responsible for the new wave of female artists in the charts, according to pop star KATY PERRY. The 23-year-old's hit song I Kissed A Girl topped the U.S. and U.K. singles charts earlier this year (08) and she believes stars such as Winehouse and Allen paved the way for her success.

She says, "I think there's a healthy dose of estrogen in the world today. Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen have definitely helped with that. They have introduced America to great music."

She says she owes her success to FREDDIE MERCURY - because he inspired her to become a star. The I Kissed A Girl hitmaker looked up to Mercury - who died in 1991 - from a young age and cites his no-nonsense attitude as a big influence.

Perry says, "Freddie Mercury from Queen was - and remains - my biggest influence.

"The combination of his sarcastic approach to writing lyrics and his 'I don't give a f**k' attitude really inspired my music."