Just to go back a bit in time to 1996 and note the popular songs then, although Melanie and her friends may have enjoyed other artists and styles.
Wondering if Melanie was into rap or rave music, it might offer a clue or serve as a reminder of that time and place when Melanie disappeared. imo, speculation, fwiw.
List of number-one singles of 1996 (Canada) - Wikipedia
"This is a list of the weekly Canadian RPM magazine[n 1] number one Top Singles chart of 1996"
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" Whitney Houston
62:23-24 22 January - 29 January 2 "One Sweet Day" Mariah Carey
62:25 5 February 1 "One of Us" Joan Osborne
62:26 12 February 1 "Time" Hootie & the Blowfish
63:1-3 19 February - 4 March 3 "Missing" Everything but the Girl
63:4 11 March 1 "The World I Know" Collective Soul
63:5 18 March 1 "I Want to Come Over" Melissa Etheridge
63:6 25 March 1 "Follow You Down" Gin Blossoms
63:7-12 1 April - 6 May 6 "Ironic" Alanis Morissette
63:13 13 May 1 "Closer to Free" Bodeans
63:14 20 May 1 "Always Be My Baby" Mariah Carey
63:15-17 27 May - 10 June 3 "Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)" Hootie & the Blowfish
63:18 17 June 1 "Give Me One Reason" Tracy Chapman
63:19 24 June 1 "Ahead by a Century" The Tragically Hip
63:20 1 July 1 "You Learn" Alanis Morissette
63:21 8 July 1 "Ahead by a Century" (re-entry) The Tragically Hip
63:22 15 July 1 "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" Bryan Adams
63:23-24 22 July - 29 July 2 "You Learn" (re-entry) Alanis Morissette
63:25-26, 64:1-3 5 August - 2 September 5 "Change the World" Eric Clapton
64:4-8 9 September - 7 October 5 "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" John Mellencamp
64:9-10 14 October - 21 October 2 "Let's Make a Night to Remember" Bryan Adams
64:11-12 28 October - 4 November 2 "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Celine Dion
64:13 11 November 1 "If It Makes You Happy" Sheryl Crow
64:14-18 18 November - 6 January 1997 ¶ 8 ¶ "Head Over Feet" Alanis Morissette
Awesome ... thanks!