Written by Fredrik Thomander, Johan Becker, and Junji Ishiwatari, and produced by Miles Walker, the track was described as an electropop and R&B song.

Upon its release, "Paparazzi" received mixed reviews from music critics, who compared the song to the group's previous Japanese-language single "Mr.

[2] It was written by Swedish songwriters Fredrik Thomander and Johan Becker, while production was handled by American producer Miles Walker.

[4] It was released for CD and DVD sales in Japan by Nayutawave Records, which is affiliated with Universal Music Group, on June 27, 2012.

[8] The accompanying music video for "Paparazzi" was directed by Toshiyuki Suzuki and is almost seven minutes long.

[9] In the video, Girls' Generation performs on stage in a theatre, with the set inspired by classic musicals.

The video begins with the members wearing trench coats and "whimsically prancing" to Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain".

[12] Jeff Benjamin from Billboard praised the dance routines for their "perfect nine-piece synchronization" and opined that the pink gloves of the girls resembled those worn by Marilyn Monroe.

[11] James Hadfield, writing for the Tokyo edition of Time Out, compared the song's R&B styles to those of the group's previous 2011 Japanese-language single "Mr.