To further promote the song to American audiences, the group performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 23, 2011, and made their debut on US television with appearances on Late Show with David Letterman and Live!

Internationally, the single received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the song as one of the highlights of the Korean Wave.

[3] A digital extended play which consists of the English version and remixes of "The Boys" was released on December 20, 2011, by SM Entertainment under exclusive license to Universal Music Group.

[5] A remix version of the song produced by electronica musicians Clinton Sparks and The Disco Fries featuring Snoop Dogg was included on the US edition.

[13] It features "military style drum breakdowns and killer vocal harmonies" in its composition, according to Angelica Wallingford from the San Diego City Times.

Bradley Stern from MuuMuse labelled the group's appearances on US television a "stunning win" for supporters of Korean music,[21] while David Bevan from Spin wrote "It's like a dream.

"[22] Nevertheless, viewers' response were divided–some accused the members of lip syncing and expressed their disdain for their performance, while others were impressed by the group's dancing skills and musical style.

[36] Jen Erenza from Ryan Seacrest's official blog praised it as a "foot-stomping, head-crackin', and girl-powered track sung by nine girls that everyone needs to hear".

[37] AllMusic's Tim Sendra named it the best song on The Boys and wrote that "Girls' Generation have what it takes to conquer the world of pop".

[2] Chris True from the same website picked "The Boys" as well as its English version and remix featuring Snoop Dogg as three outstanding songs throughout the group's career.

[38][failed verification] Jaeki Cho from Vibe described the group's music as "Spice Girls meet Pussycat Dolls" and recommended "The Boys" to download.

Mio Scobie, editor of Us Weekly wrote that "They produce feelgood beats, instantly memorable choruses and, as I'm sure people have already noticed, they're stunning."