I want to believe
It’s just you and me
Sometimes it feels like there’s three of us in here, baby
So I, wait for you to call
And I try to act natural
Have you been thinking ’bout her or about me?
And while I wait I put on my perfume,
Yeah, I want it all over you
I'm gonna mark my territory
I’ll never tell, tell on myself but I hope she smells my perfume
I’ll never tell, tell on myself but I hope she smells my perfume
I hide it well, hope you can’t tell but I hope she smells my perfume
I hide it well, hope you can’t tell but I hope she smells my perfume
"Perfume" received general acclaim from music critics, who noted the musical departure from its EDM-influenced predecessor, "Work Bitch" and praised Spears' vocal performance. Marc Hogan of Spin gave a generally positive review of "Perfume", complimenting Spears for conveying "the type of emotional vulnerability" that is not evident on most of her hit singles. Melinda Newman of HitFix lauded the song, stating Spears' vocal ability "is as strong as it has ever been" on the song and also stated it was Spears' "best song in years". Robbie Daw of Idolator praised the song's lyrical content, however stated it "wouldn't exactly reshape Top 40 radio".Jason Lipshutz of Billboard thought the song allowed Spears to momentarily discard the confident exterior of ‘Work Bitch’ and express vulnerability over ‘paranoid’ feelings about her romantic interest," while Katie Atkinson of Entertainment Weekly deemed the song "in the vein" of the singer's early ballads "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (2000) and "Everytime" (2003).Joe Wilde of Contactmusic felt "Perfume" was similar to "Lucky" (2000), and deemed it "a much more delicate release" when compared to "Work Bitch".
