Katy Perry believes “every female artist” owes a debt of gratitude to Madonna. The 39-year-old pop star has heaped praise on the chart-topping icon, explaining that Madonna has paved the way for an entire generation of female artists. During an appearance on ‘The Project’, Katy explained: “She paved the way. “When you talk about me reaching out to younger artists, every female [artist] still needs to continue to say thank you to her because she is breaking down barriers.” Katy also acknowledged that she owes a lot of her own success to the ‘Like a Virgin’ hitmaker. Katy – who is one of the bes…