In most applications the position, style and interaction with menu elements tend to follow a consistent pattern. In the latest version of iTunes the menu design (other than the standard File menu bar) is quite interesting for its variation. Some of this may be due to user familiarity with previous versions, but the concept of firstly breaking the application header into three sections, and then for each section to have the main menu positioned in different areas and with different visual styling suggests that each menu is customized for a specific reason.
Is this an unusual design approach for software applications? Are there any obvious usability benefits or visual aesthetics?