"BWPS" received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, "Smile" received an average score of 97 based on 29 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". "Rolling Stone"s Robert Christgau, who was skeptical of "Smile" back in the 1960s, praised Parks' lyrics and wrote, "what elevates them into something approaching a utopian vision is Wilson's orchestrations: brief bridge melodies, youthful harmonies ... and an enthralling profusion of instrumental colors." Dominique Leone of "Pitchfork" declared, "As the mythical follow-up to "Pet Sounds", it delivers, and despite his age, Wilson's voice even sounds fantastic, still carrying the weight of these angelic melodies."