Italian singer-songwriter Nek released 'Laura non c'è' in 1997, and recorded the Spanish version 'Laura no está' for Latin markets the same year. The song became one of the defining Latin pop ballads of the late nineties, dominating radio in Spain and across Latin America. Decades later the chorus resurfaced on TikTok and WhatsApp as shorthand for anyone who has disappeared, from friends ghosting a group chat to celebrities skipping an event. Its staying power comes from a melody that an entire generation recognizes within the first two notes.