Beyonc shows her highs and lows with album-film Lemonade

Beyonc seemed to let it all hang out with the release of the album-film Lemonade.And she still came out on top. Her fans, however, might never be the same.

The musical and marketing genius has re-defined what it means to release music in this era. There were no media interviews beforehand to promote the album. There likely won't be many after.

There were no leaks,despite numerous high-profile cameos.Andtheadvertising leading up to it all basically came from you and me the millions of social media followers and fans who discussed at great length every Instagram post and cryptic photo on her account, trying to figure out what she was doing next.

Not surprisingly, the albumis available on Tidal,the troubledmusic streaming service owned by hubby Jay Z that now might haveher to thank for boosting it.

At the same time her album was released on Tidal, there was a one-hour special on HBO of music videos corresponding to the album. But noone in Canada could see it.

Speaking of Jay Z, the series of concept videos that aired duringthe one-hour HBO special Saturday, also seemed toaira lot of dirty laundry.

"Are you cheating on me?"Beyonc'shusky voice starts off.

Beyonc, who hasused infidelity as a reigning theme for many songs over the years,includingIrreplaceableand Ring the Alarm,made it very clear she was standing up for scorned womeneverywhere.

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And that's where we findthe beauty behind the madness. Not just in appearances by Toronto's The Weeknd and Canadian model Winnie Harlow,but by arare display of desperatelyraw emotion from awoman who everyone thinks is so far beyondreach. Beyoncdared to show thatshe might just go through the very same struggles as other people, and no amount of money or power can change that.

ButLemonade is as much political as it is personal.

Yes, there arerevenge anthems for angry wives, a trackfor mistresses,and aneventualrelease in forgiveness where Jay Z appears in a cuddle,but there are also strong displays ofBlackGirlMagic and support of BlackLivesMatter.

Imageryofstrong, beautiful black womenisn't just reflected in the musician herself, but in the entire cast of characters she recruited, which included tennis star Serena Williams, actress Zendaya, TheHunger Games' Amandla Stenbergand Oscar-nominated QuvenzhaneWallis.

From there, she layers on anger and frustration in the black communitythe mothers ofTrayvonMartin and Michael Brown are seen straight-facedas they hold photos of their slain sons.

At another point, she tells the audience through the voice of Malcolm X that "the most disrespected woman in America is the black woman."

Thesongs on Lemonadearenot made forradio play and that seems to be a relatively recent trend for Beyonc. The language is explicit andthe songs fuseR&B, reggae,rock and evencountry. But more importantly, if her music is the best way for fans to understand her, it's better presented as a whole rather than in pieces.