 " Boys " was originally recorded by Janet Jackson before it was given to Spears . The song was originally included on Spears ' third , self @-@ titled studio album . It was written and produced by The Neptunes ( Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams ) — members of American rap group N.E.R.D .. The song was re @-@ recorded as " The Co @-@ Ed Remix " , with a slightly different sound , and added featured vocals from Pharrell Williams . Following its inclusion on the Austin Powers in Goldmember OST , it was released as the second single from the soundtrack , following " Work It Out " , performed by one of the film 's stars ' , Beyoncé . The release also made it the sixth single release to come from Britney . A press release for Maverick Records called the track a standout from the film 's soundtrack , and said that Spears ' cameo in the film " brings superstar status to the Fembot brigade . " The release also stated that the song and video " stays true to the fractured funk [ at ] the heart of the film . " AOL Music premiered the new track on June 13 , 2002 , and it was streamed more than 1 @.@ 35 million times , setting a new record an AOL Music " First Listen . " 
