Washington, Jan 24 : American Idol star Paula Abdul credits herself for inspiring modern pop stars like Rihanna and Beyonce Knowles.

The singer, who first tasted fame in the 1980s after selling over 23 million records worldwide, took a musical hiatus in 2000.

She subsequently relaunched her career as a judge on the hit TV talent show and returned to the pop charts in 2008.

Now, the crooner has said that she's convinced her long running career and her forward thinking music videos have paved the way for the music stars of today, reports Contactmusic.

She says, "My videos stand the test of time. They are like the almanac for every performer. Even Rihanna has come up to me and said ''I hope you don''t mind.'' And Beyonce.

"You can see the influence of what I''ve done. It''s really fun to see that I''ve left a mark.

"It was my idea to create an animated character. It takes a lot of focus, a lot time, and a lot of money." (ANI)