While Coca-Cola pumps its new credit card gimmick, rival soft drink distributor Pepsi is busy handing out official Generation Next membership cards to the music world's finest. And how adorably fitting that the newest member of the club is the chart-topping R&B group NEXT. |

Joining the ranks of mega-pop heroes the Spice Girls and Michael Jackson, NEXT is currently penning a new Pepsi jingle due to overrun the airwaves in July. Though the Minnesota trio will be absorbed in a Boyz II Men/K-Ci and Jo Jo tour until late July, they plan to complete the Pepsi ditty before heading back to the studio this fall, according to Arista Records spokeswoman Donna Torrence.

Brothers T-Low and Tweety along with fellow musician R.L. posed for a Pepsi photo shoot recently, and will appear in various print advertisements throughout the summer.

In the meantime, NEXT is celebrating its latest record-breaking achievement with the single "Too Close," which has held on the No. 1 position on Billboard's "Hot 100 Singles" chart for five weeks, making it the longest-running chart-topper of the year. "Too Close" is the second single from the group's gold debut, Rated Next.

Torrence told JAMTV on Thursday that Next will release the single "I Still Love You" sometime this summer, but has not yet shot a video for that song. (Anni Layne)