Stephen Daw of
Billboard ranked "Zombieboy" as the third-best track on
Mayhem, calling it a "one-of-a-kind jam" that provides "a much-needed switch-up" with its playful campiness—contrasting with the darker, more serious tone of much of the album—and channels the indulgent energy that first drew fans to Gaga in 2008.
The Guardian Alexis Petridis regarded it an illustration of the album's consistently sharp writing—full of hooks and marked by unexpected musical detours.
Out Taylor Henderson deemed it "instantly iconic", while Donovan Livesey of
MusicOMH envisioned the song as one of
Mayhem "future classics".
Entertainment Weekly Wesley Stenzel and
Paste Sam Rosenberg both considered it a
Halloween-inspired bop for the dancefloor.
NME Nick Levine found it a "disco-rap banger", noting that Gaga "sounds a bit like a musical theatre kid channelling
Blondie’s
Debbie Harry – but just about gets away with it."
Vogue Christian Allaire said "Zombieboy" and "
Garden of Eden" are "sexy pop bangers certain to be hits in all the gay clubs". Stephen Ackroyd of
Dork had a similar opinion, and considered the two tracks "a pair of gloriously camp club ragers destined to become late-night anthems for the creatures of the night." JT Early of
Beats Per Minute called "Zombieboy" a "deliciously fun romp", and characterized it as "the darker sister to '
Killah' with its more aggressive retro stylings".
Rolling Stone Brittany Spanos described it as "a little
Artpop meets
The Fame," calling it "a cute and sexy track". Kristen S. Hé of
Vulture opined it is "the one
Mayhem track that actually could have appeared on
The Fame exactly as it is", adding that Andrew Watt's
Van Halen–inspired shredding gives it a fresh twist, and while it may feel like a retread, "a little nostalgia is welcome when it sounds this smooth." Gary Grimes of
Attitude also felt that it recalls Gaga's early work, especially "Disco Heaven" from
The Fame, while noting "she sounds at home, and the end result is a lot of fun". Chris Hedden of
Screen Rant wrote that, while the track functions more as a lighthearted filler than a centerpiece on
Mayhem, its smooth, playful energy and Gaga's signature lively vocals are likely to appeal to fans. Megan Lapierre of
Exclaim! said the track is the sort of delightfully weird, slightly cringey style she expects from Gaga, even if it's not exactly her thing. Peter Piatkowski of
PopMatters found it "shockingly dull and rote." == Commercial performance ==