(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Nicola Roberts is enjoying the "European influence" in the music charts at the moment.

The singer thinks Europe is paving the way in pop music and that even some of the biggest American artists are being inspired by acts from other countries. The Girls Aloud singer is currently carving out a solo career having recently released her new single Beat of My Drum.

"I think we're in a good place," Nicola told NME of the pop music industry. "It's interesting that pop music now is so influenced by European sounds, and the Americans have had to take the lead from what we're doing, even Lady Gaga."

Nicola collaborated with US producer Diplo for her latest song but still insisted on Europe's influence on the global music scene. She claims that American musicians have been moving away from the pop R&B sounds and experimenting with different sounds.

"Now it's really interesting that Britney's album is dubstep," she said citing the star's use of the electronic music genre that originated in London. "Come on, if that's not the biggest nod to it, I don't know what is!"

The singer, who was often regarded as the "shy one" in British group Girls Aloud, is not timid about discussing the types of music she likes. Nicola has revealed she appreciates albums where you can relate to something.

"Take pop music that's like, the outer bubble, the surface, and it floats and it's good, it's catchy. Then you've got the inner bubble, where you can hear the feeling in the song. That's what I like in a record," she explained. (C) Cover Media