Strange Sensation — the quiet emotion hidden behind a young star’s brightest years
There is something tenderly familiar about “Strange Sensation” by Shaun Cassidy — a soft, almost secretive pulse of emotion that lingers long after the last note fades. Though it never reached the charts or the spotlight the way his major hits did, the song occupies a special place in his 1977 album Born Late, closing the record with a whisper rather than a shout. And perhaps that is why it feels so touching now: because it was never meant to dazzle, only to speak quietly to those willing to listen.
Important details sit right at the heart of this piece:
“Strange Sensation” was written by Shaun Cassidy himself, a rarity among the songs recorded during the early peak of his fame. It was also chosen as the B-side to his hit single “Hey Deanie,” which soared into the Top 10 when it was released. The A-side captured all the attention, as expected. But tucked on the reverse was this gentle reflection — a song that revealed a young artist thinking beyond his glossy image, reaching for something more personal, more inward-looking.
And indeed, that’s the beauty of it.
Where many of Cassidy’s best-known songs were crafted as bright, energetic pop staples for his core audience, “Strange Sensation” moves at a different emotional temperature. The melody is softer, the lyrics more contemplative, and his vocal delivery carries a kind of youthful vulnerability that feels remarkably genuine. You can sense a young man standing at the edge of adulthood, tasting uncertainty, desire, and the quiet confusion that comes with growing up.
Placed at the end of Born Late, the song feels like a moment of solitude after the noise — the kind of track an artist leaves for himself, not for the crowds. It lets the album drift away gently, as if he were allowing the listeners to step with him into a dimmer, calmer room where the lights of celebrity don’t shine quite so harshly.
For those who lived through the 1970s, or who remember seeing Cassidy’s face everywhere — on magazines, posters, TV screens — the song now carries a different kind of resonance. It reminds listeners that behind all the hysteria of teenage fame was a real young man navigating unfamiliar emotions. Decades later, when the world has grown quieter and life has collected its share of memories, “Strange Sensation” sounds almost like a diary entry from a distant past: honest, unpolished, and sincere.
There’s a nostalgic warmth in the way the music flows — soft pop instrumentation, a drifting arrangement, a sense of gentleness untouched by the rush of commercial ambition. It brings to mind slow evenings, bittersweet glances, fleeting moments of affection that never fully bloomed but also never fully faded. It’s a reminder of a time when emotions were felt purely, before complications and responsibilities reshaped the heart.