Inul Daratista rose to national fame after a televised January 2003 concert in Jakarta. Her dance moves, which she calls Goyang Inul or Ngebor (lit. 'drilling'), quickly became the source of controversy due to her suggestive gyrating hip motions. Some conservative Muslim organizations such as the Indonesian Muslim Council (MUI) called for a ban on her concerts.
Inul Daratista was cited as a reason to pass a national anti-pornography bill that was drafted during the height of the controversy in mid-2003, but as of 2005 has not passed. Inul's dance styles was also criticised by other dangdut singers, most vocally Rhoma Irama, for "corrupting" the genre, though these criticisms did little to dent her popularity.