"Boss" was well received by contemporary music critics, who praised the song's lyrical themes and production. "Boss" debuted and peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying in the charts for a total of fifteen weeks, outperforming "Miss Movin' On", their first single after forming as a quintet on The X Factor. Among national airplay charts, the track peaked at number 37 on the Mainstream Top 40, even though "Boss" was censored from mainstream radios after many felt the song was sending a political message to listeners, according to Frederic, one of the producers of the track. Outside of the United States, the song peaked at number 75 on the Canadian Hot 100 and reached the top 40 in countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom. The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
