Already from CRUSH they were very much oriented to their "money making machine" side.


And the album CRUSH is somewhat ambivalent. But then from BOUNCE and on, they seem very calculated, like tryin to replicate particular recipies for songs that would be hits. On THESE DAYS or KTF they are more loose and honestly experimenting. Cause at that time they didnt feel the need to try to have a hit. After the non success of THESE DAYS in US and the non success of DA, they apparently really felt the need to hit serious big time again, and focused on that. Sex Sells, with Bruce Fairbrain in the production, would have been an attempt to make a 90s version of Slippery When Wet. Plans changed they adopted some boybandish sounds using Max Martin's collaboration, and they did achieve the next big hit. And so, being satisfied with this result, they established the faith that "calculated efforts" can work out and give you hits and success. And from then on, they were almost all the time trying to create hits.