John Foster may not have won American Idol, but he’s not giving up on his dream of being a country singer. After taking the night to “gather [his] thoughts” following the Sunday, May 18, finale, where he was named runner-up behind winner Jamal Roberts, Foster returned to Instagram on Monday, May 19, with an exciting update for fans.

“No words can describe how I truly feel, but I hope that these will try,” Foster began. “I can vividly remember that feeling of ‘I’ll never be good enough’ in my early days of Idol, and I can gladly say that I proved myself wrong. I’ve gained friends, confidence, life skills, and most importantly, I gained you, my family.”

He went on to tease his plans for the future, adding, “My gratitude will NEVER be fully expressed, but I hope to show it by working hard to give you some new country music and show dates as soon as I can. God has a reason for me being runner-up, and I will always trust His plan!”

In conclusion, he said, “This is merely a first step into what He has in store for me, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead. I love you!”

In the caption of the post, he sent love to Roberts, writing, “I also want to send a very heartfelt congratulations to all of my fellow finalists, especially Jamal, his family, and his community; he is an incredible performer with whom I’m honored to have shared a stage. I’ll certainly be praying for him as he continues his journey.”

Foster’s first post-American Idol single is his original song, “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” which he wrote after his friend, Maggie Dunn, died in a car accident. “I’m going to push that out as much as possible,” Foster told TV Insider. “I think it gives people a great idea of who I am as a writer. I wrote that song by myself. It gives people a good glimpse of who I am as an artist and as a writer.” He also confirmed that he hopes to record a full-length album, adding, “I love being in the studio.”