 Calling the song "a decidedly lubricious duet", Alex Needham of New Musical Express said that "She sings about boys, he sings about girls. A simple concept, but an effective one, resulting in Britney ’ s best single [in] ages." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said that The Neptunes'productions on the album, "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys" "swaddle her in writhing, kick-the-can beats, but never have a groove and a verse been so betrayed by a limp chorus." Nicki Tranter of PopMatters said that the remainder of the album was "tried and tested" dance-pop, noting "Boys" and "Cinderella" revisiting "old Britney territory exploring predictable issues including her love being irreplaceable, her use of the dance floor as an appropriate courting place, and her much-loved girl-ness." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it a "popping, Janet-esque groove." Yale Daily News writer Catherine Halaby considered the song "an envelope-pushing (when you consider her claims of wholesomeness) smutfest."
