Our Top 3 finalists were honored as hometown heroes this week, leaving just one big question: Who will make it to the finale?

The contestants performed three songs each on Wednesday night: one song chosen by the judges, one by the contestants themselves, and one by Jimmy Iovine. We also got to see Phillip head back to Leesburg, Georgia; Jessica returned to Chula Vista, California; and Joshua went back to Westlake, Louisiana.

For 20-year-old "Son of a Preacher Man" Joshua, Randy chose Etta James' "I'd Rather Be Blind," explaining that classic R&B "fits him so well." He earned a standing ovation, as usual.

"This is another Joshua moment," Steven said. "It's so surreal to hear somebody sing those old songs and deliver them. There's only one American Idol, and you sang like that one tonight."

Jennifer added, "You are such a throwback, and I love that about you, and you always bring down the house with those numbers. And you brought down the house again."

Randy agreed, adding that he hopes Joshua will take R&B "into modern times."

For 16-year-old Jessica, Jennifer chose Mariah Carey's "My All," explaining, "There's a tenderness in this song that I feel like she will kill, that people haven't heard yet. I think it will be a really nice moment for her." Randy, who works with Mariah, was a fan.

"That was absolutely beautiful, perfectly the right song for you," he said. "We tell people never to sing Mariah songs, [since they're a] lesson in the most difficult things to ever sing. I think it's one of the best times a Mariah song has ever been performed on TV."

Jennifer agreed, telling Jessica that she did it "so beautifully and your own way." Steven even predicted that she could be "the last one standing here."

"When you sing, you make people hang on your every note," he told her. "I hope you just get used to encores."

For 21-year-old Phillip, Steven chose "Beggin'" by Madcon in an effort to "get him to hit the melody."

Jennifer really enjoyed it. "You're very funny, you can't help it, you gotta mess with [the melody]," she told Phillip. "You catch a vibe in a song that is all yours, and you ride it all the way home. It was great."

Steven was blown away, saying he hopes Phillip winds up writing his own songs. "You could be a new-age Boss, you could be a new Springsteen," he told him.

Randy also thought Phillip rocked out: "We were just at the Phillip Phillips concert, y'all! You are so in the zone, have been since day one . . . That was another incredible performance by you. You are who you are, and we love it."

So who "won" Round 1? Randy thought that Joshua had a "slight edge," but Jennifer said Phillip's performance "really moved everybody."

Time for Round 2, the contestant's choice. Joshua was up first, reflecting on his return home to Westlake, where he sold out the local arena for the first time in history. "They are really acting like I'm Barack Obama," he said.

Joshua chose John Lennon's "Imagine," and the judges admired his storytelling and restraint.

"That was beautiful, another 'Thank you God moment.' You are so fine, damn!" Steven said.

"It was a pullback in control performance for you, which to me is the hardest thing to do," Jennifer added. "It's almost like you're preaching while you're singing, and it's a beautiful thing. You're willing to dig deep into the words and the meaning through the music."

Randy wanted to know why Joshua chose that song, and Joshua explained that he "connected" with the "strong message" when he heard it on the radio. Randy thought that was exactly what today's artists should be doing, as opposed to singing songs that have no meaning for them. "That was another stellar — brilliant!" he said.

Jessica returned to Chula Vista, and she couldn't get over all the attention she was getting. "I was home-schooled," she explained. "I didn't have a lot of friends — I was kind of like the dork, nobody really liked me. This time, guys were chasing my car!"

She performed on the USS Midway, dedicating "Dance with My Father" to her dad (who's in the Navy) and all the sailors. Then, she chose to sing Aerosmith's smash hit, "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Steven stood up and patted himself on the heart.

"You just took a great song and made it greater — beautiful," he said. Jennifer said Jessica should appreciate "what a big deal that is" that Steven liked her version of his song.

"When people sing his songs, I don't think he's ever said one good thing — amazing," Jennifer told her.

Randy was also impressed, telling Jessica, "You're choosing some really tough hills to climb. Yo, this girl is bold!" While he thought it "started a little slow," he thought she "got there" by the middle. "I was waiting on a big moment, and dude, you delivered," he added.

We then saw Phillip head back to Leesburg, where his favorite chicken and cheese nachos have now been named after him at a local restaurant. He also visited his very proud dad at his pawn shop, and finally broke down crying when he was overwhelmed by his "own parade."

Phillip chose to sing "Disease" by Matchbox 20, and Jennifer was a little disappointed. "I didn't feel like it was the 'wow' performance, which we are needing and wanting right now," she said.

Steven felt the same way. "It wasn't over-the-top, but it was Phillip Phillips," he said.

Randy agreed, saying, "It was such a subdued moment. You can do those in your sleep."

For Round 3, Jimmy chose Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" for Joshua. "I figured he could use another moment. Mary at the Grammys brought the church right to that stage — she combines a lot of things Joshua has," he explained. The judges couldn't praise Joshua enough.

"At this point it doesn't matter what you sing, you have laid everything on this stage that there is to lay," Randy said. "That's what being a great artist is about — amazing!"

Jennifer added, "You have this perfect marriage of knowing exactly what you're doing and letting completely go at the same time. You know you still gonna start taking us to church right there, it's gonna get gospel."

And Steven liked it so much he wanted even more "Drama," adding that he felt "the last 40 years of the music business" in the performance.

Jimmy chose The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" for Jessica, thinking it would appeal to an older audience but keep her "youth."

Steven loved it. "Perfect song, perfect voice, you nailed it," he told her.