I did not say they "sold out" in the 00's. I just think they played it safe. Those are two different things. I don't think either of those terms could be applied to the 90's stuff, but you can live in whatever delusional hindsight reality you want to. Bottom line is that the band was still trying something different, whether or some elements had been touched upon by any other artists at the time. You can't say that about the 00's, unless you think that "four guys in a room" bullshit is new, or different. There isn't one review of that album that didn't mention a "return" of some kind. And I guarantee you, look back at any review of the 90's albums and you will read about innovation, discovery, etc. But hey, why take my word for it. Let's look at what Rolling Stone had to say:
Zooropa:
"The album is a daring, imaginative coda to Achtung Baby...",
"the chilling emotional atmosphere of Zooropa ? one of grim, determined fun, a fever-dream last waltz on the deck of the Titanic"
"It is varied and vigorously experimental, but its charged mood of giddy anarchy suffused with barely suppressed dread provides a compelling, unifying thread".
"The album's true strength lies in capturing the sound of verities shattering, of things falling apart, that moment when exhilaration and fear are indistinguishable as the slide into the abyss begins."
And Pop:
"the group has pieced together a record whose rhythms, textures and visceral guitar mayhem make for a thrilling roller-coaster ride, one whose sheer inventiveness is plainly bolstered by the heavy involvement of techno/trip-hop wizard Howie B."
"U2 stray considerably deeper into the world of loops and samples ? of remix culture in general ? than they did on Achtung Baby."
"Even in the realm of the once-trusty electric guitar, the distortion of sound is so radical that you barely recognize the instrument."
"Those searing, sheared harmonics are still there, but they're compressed and warped and mangled into crazy new shapes."
"Alone among the giants of the '80s, they have a chance to carry their musical vision into the 21st century while still selling a ton of records. Are people still listening, or has rock & roll splintered into too many different tribes for a single band to shoulder the weight of our faith in its dream? Well, if people have stopped caring, it won't be U2's fault. With Pop, they've defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives. Pretty heroic stuff, come to think of it."
Yeah, real safe.
As for the boyband/Britney producers, isn't that who they got help from on the middle-8 in Elevation? Yeah, I thought so.
Does anyone here take you seriously?