[3][10] The cover art was revealed by Grande on her social media on July 30, 2019, and the song was simultaneously made available for pre-save.

[12] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz called "Boyfriend" an "elastic pop track, a lovably low-stakes ode to romantic attraction but resistance to traditional labels".

[1] Amanda Mitchell of O, The Oprah Magazine opined that the song's lyrics "will hit home for anyone who's ever wanted to be coupled-up, but also enjoyed the freedom of not being in a relationship.

[13] Writing for Esquire, Gabrielle Bruney stated that it is "a completely undeniable bop", adding that it is "an effortlessly hooky R&B-pop hybrid" which "captures that torturous liminal phase in relationships, before boundaries and definitions have been set in stone, but when feelings are still very much on the line".

[15] In the video, Grande and Foster portray a dysfunctional couple seeking counseling from Anderson as they sing the song.

Another sequence involves Grande pulling open her blazer and firing lasers shaped like pink hearts out of her bra, getting Foster's attention.