I. Introduction
The Boys is is the third Korean full-length album by SNSD. It was released on October 19, 2011 with "The Boys" serving as the album's title track.
The album had a repackage Mr Taxi on December 9, 2011, with the title track being used to promote the album. The repackage features the original track list with the English version of "The Boys" added. The album's concept won a 2014 Red Dot Award for Communication design and a 2014 iF Design Award for Album Packaging.
This album was the first one of the group to have an international release, an international version being released digitally worldwide on January 17, 2012. This version features the original tracklist along with the English version of "The Boys" and 4 remixes of the song. The record had an international promotion since the group performed on US television shows Late Show with David Letterman and Live! with Kelly and Michael, and French televised program Le Grand Journal.
II. Commercial Performance
The Boys debuted at #1 on the Gaon Weekly Albums chart and has sold over 400,000 copies in South Korea alone, becoming the best selling album of 2011. The album peaked at #2 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, the standard album chart of Japan, with sales records of more than 100,000 copies in the country.
According to Korean Gaon Album Chart, the album and its repackage collectively sold more than 450,000 units in the country as of 2016.
III. Tracklist
1. The Boys
2. Telepathy
3. Say Yes
4. Trick
6. My J
7. Oscar
8. Top Secret
9. Lazy Girl
10. Sunflower
11. Vitamin
12. Mr Taxi
13. The Boys english version (digital edition only)
IV. MV and Album Tracks